Relationship between self-perceptions of aging and cognitive function in community elderly: the mediating and moderating effects of loneliness / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the relationship between self-perceptions of aging and cognitive function, and the mediating and moderating effect of loneliness among them.Methods:A multi-stage stratified sampling was conducted in Jinzhou from September to November 2021, and 318 community-based elderly were included.General data questionnaire, the brief ageing perceptions questionnaire (BAPQ), UCLA loneliness scale(UCLA-LS) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) were applied to all subjects.IBM SPSS 25.0 software was used to conduct independent sample t-test, analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis, and Bootstrap program of AMOS 22.0 was used to analyze the mediation effect.The model in SPSSAU on-line analysis program was used to test the moderating effect. Results:The average scores of self-perceptions of aging, loneliness and cognitive function were (44.85±12.48), (41.70±8.73) and (24.87±3.40) respectively.And 65 of 318 subjects had cognitive impairment, and the detection rate was 20.44%(65/318). Self-perceptions of aging, loneliness and cognitive function scores were significantly correlated between each other(all P<0.05). Self-perceptions of aging had a negative effect on cognitive function ( β=-0.467, P<0.01). Self-perceptions of aging had a positive effect on loneliness ( β=0.585, P<0.01). Loneliness had a negative effect on cognitive function ( β=-0.234, P<0.01). The indirect standardization effect of loneliness between self-perceptions of aging and cognitive function was -0.137, and the mediating effect accounted for 22.68% of the total effect.Loneliness played a moderating role between self-perceptions of aging and cognitive function ( β=-0.114, t=-2.26, P=0.025). Conclusion:Self-perceptions of aging and loneliness can predict the cognitive function in the elderly, and loneliness plays a mediating role between self-perceptions of aging and cognitive function.Early detection of negative senility emotion and loneliness of the elderly will play a positive role in preventing the occurrence of cognitive impairment.