Life Satisfaction and the Relationship between Mild Cognitive Impairment and Disability Incidence: An Observational Prospective Cohort Study.

The relationship between the incidence of disability and cognitive function has been clarified, but whether life satisfaction is related to this relationship is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify whether life satisfaction is related to the relationship between the incidence of disability and mild cognitive impairment. We included 2563 older adults from the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-Study of Geriatric Syndromes. Baseline measurements included cognitive, life satisfaction, and demographic characteristics. Life satisfaction was measured using the Life Satisfaction Scale, which was stratified into three levels based on the score: lower, moderate, and higher. Associations between disability incidence and mild cognitive impairment were examined for each group according to life satisfaction, and monthly assessment for disability was monitored through long-term care insurance certification for at least 2 years from the baseline. At a 35.5-month mean follow-up, 150 participants had developed a disability. The potential confounding factors adjusted hazard for incidence of disability in the group with lower life satisfaction was 1.88 (CI: 1.05-3.35; p = 0.034) for mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment was associated with disability incidence, and the effect was more pronounced among older adults with lower life satisfaction.

Participation in Social Activities and Relationship between Walking Habits and Disability Incidence.

Identifying the relationship between physical and social activity and disability among community-dwelling older adults may provide important information for implementing tailored interventions to prevent disability progression. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the number of social activities on the relationship between walking habits and disability incidence in older adults. We included 2873 older adults (mean age, 73.1 years; SD, ±5.9 years) from the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-Study of Geriatric Syndromes. Baseline measurements, including frequencies of physical and social activities, health conditions, physical function, cognitive function, metabolic parameters, and other potential disability risk factors (for example, the number of years of education); monthly assessment for disability was monitored through long-term care insurance certification for at least 2 years from baseline. During a mean follow-up of 35.1 months (SD, 6.4 months), 133 participants developed disability. The disability incidence was 19.0 and 27.9 per 1000 person-years for participants who walked more (≥3 times per week) and less (≤3 times per week) frequently, respectively. The potential confounding factor-adjusted disability hazard ratio was 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.46 to 0.96; p = 0.030). The relationship between habitual walking and the number of social activities was statistically significant (p = 0.004). The reduction of disability risk by walking was greater among participants with fewer social activities. Habitual walking was associated with disability incidence, with a more pronounced effect among older adults who were less likely to engage in social activities.

A New Social Network Scale for Detecting Depressive Symptoms in Older Japanese Adults.

Social engagement and networking deter depression among older adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults are especially at risk of isolation from face-to-face and non-face-to-face interactions. We developed the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Social Network Scale (NCGG-SNS) to assess frequency of, and satisfaction with, social interactions. The NCGG-SNS consists of four domains: face-to-face/non-face-to-face interactions with family/friends. Each domain score is obtained by multiplying frequency ratings by satisfaction ratings for each item; all scores were summed to obtain a total NCGG-SNS score (range: 0-64). Additionally, face-to-face and non-face-to-face subscores were calculated. Higher scores indicated satisfactory social networking. A cohort of 2445 older Japanese adults completed the NCGG-SNS and the Geriatrics Depression Scale-Short form. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis and logistic regression determined predictive validity for depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were reported by 284 participants (11.6%). The optimal NCGG-SNS cut-off value to identify depressive symptoms was 26.5 points. In logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders, lower NCGG-SNS values were significantly associated with greater prevalence of depressive symptoms. Face-to-face and non-face-to-face subscores were associated with depressive symptoms. The NCGG-SNS is a valid and useful indicator of multidimensional social networking enabling identification of depressive symptoms in older adults.