Relationship between socioeconomic status and cognitive ability among Chinese older adults: the moderating role of social support

Abstract

Background Understanding the causes and pathways of cognitive decline among older populations is of great importance in China. This study aims to examine whether the discrepancy in socioeconomic status (SES) makes a difference to the cognitive ability among Chinese older adults, and to disentangle the moderating role of different types of social support in the process in which SES influences cognition. Methods We utilized a nationally representative sample from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. A cumulative SES score was constructed to measure the combined effect of different socioeconomic statuses on the cognitive ability of the elderly. We further examined the moderating role of two types of social support, including emotional support, and financial support. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied to test the direct effect of SES on cognitive ability, and to investigate the moderating role of social support on the association of the SES with the dependent variables. Results The results showed that the higher SES of older adults was significantly associated with better cognitive ability (β = 0.52, p < 0.001) after controlling for age, sex, marital status, living region, Hukou, health insurance, lifestyle factors, and physical health status. Emotional support and financial support were moderated the relationship between SES score and cognitive ability. Conclusion Our results reveal the importance of considering social support in buffering the effects of SES and the associated cognitive ability for aging populations. It highlights the importance of narrowing the socioeconomic gap among the elderly. Policymakers should consider promoting social support to improve the cognitive ability among older adults.

Longitudinal Assessment of Quality of Life in Nasopharyngeal Cancer Patients Treated with Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy at Different Time Points

“…In Taiwan, where IMPT is not covered by insurance, IMPT patients tend to have higher socioeconomic status. Higher socioeconomic status is associated with better cognitive function [39,40], explaining our study's findings. We had accounted for education level as a proxy for socioeconomic status to address this issue.…”

Associations between Physical Activity Frequency in Leisure Time and Subjective Cognitive Limitations in Middle-Aged Spanish Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The study by Lin et al reports that females with primary or lower education levels are closely linked to subjective cognition decline symptoms. A hypothesis is that people with a good educational level have a higher brain capacity than people with a lower educational level, which gives them the advantage of slowing cognitive decline [ 22 ]. On the other hand, the fact that women are more likely to present a higher probability has also been related to the fact that women are more concerned about their state of health and have a greater perception of changes or the progression of symptoms [ 58 ].…”

“…Similar results were also observed in a study by Liu et al, in which elderly people with widowed/separated marital status were more susceptible to cognitive impairment and performed poorly in all domains of cognition [ 59 ]. On the other hand, the study by Shi et al also reported that older people who had a disadvantaged socio-economic status were more likely to develop a lower level of cognitive ability in later life after controlling the results for age, sex, marital status, living region, health insurance, lifestyle factors, and physical health status [ 22 ].…”

“…According to previous studies, it seems that a higher level of education appears to offer a protective effect against positive decline, probably because of a greater cognitive reserve than people with a lower level of education [ 8 , 16 , 17 ]. Other studies have found that higher socio-economic status may be a protective factor against cognitive decline [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Conversely, low socio-economic status appears to be a risk factor for cognitive impairment.…”

“…Conversely, low socio-economic status appears to be a risk factor for cognitive impairment. These findings could be related to the smaller network of contacts, lower educational level, lower social support, or poorer nutrition that people with a low socio-economic level have, among other causes [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”