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Peng C, Hayman LL, Mutchler JE, et al. Friendship and Cognitive Functioning among Married and Widowed Chinese Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021;doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbab213.
Peng, C., Hayman, L. L., Mutchler, J. E., & Burr, J. A. (2021). Friendship and Cognitive Functioning among Married and Widowed Chinese Older Adults. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, . https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab213
Peng, Changmin, et al. "Friendship and Cognitive Functioning among Married and Widowed Chinese Older Adults." The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences vol. (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbab213
Peng C, Hayman LL, Mutchler JE, Burr JA. Friendship and Cognitive Functioning among Married and Widowed Chinese Older Adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021 Nov 15; doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbab213. Epub 2021 Nov 15. PMID: 34791248.
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J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2021 Nov 15; doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbab213. Epub 2021 Nov 15.

Friendship and Cognitive Functioning among Married and Widowed Chinese Older Adults.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences

Changmin Peng, Laura L Hayman, Jan E Mutchler, Jeffrey A Burr

Affiliations

  1. Department of Gerontology, McCormack Graduate School of Public and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston.
  2. Department of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston.

PMID: 34791248 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab213

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Guided by the social convoy model, this study investigated the association between friendship and cognitive functioning among older Chinese adults, as well as the moderating effect of marital status (married vs. widowed). We also explored whether depression might account for the link between friendship and cognitive functioning.

METHOD: We used data from the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey in 2014 (N = 8,482). Cognitive functioning was measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination instrument and friendship was assessed with a three-item Lubben Social Network Scale. Linear regression and path analyses within a structural equation modeling framework were performed to examine the hypotheses.

RESULTS: Results indicated that friendship was significantly related to better cognitive functioning among older Chinese adults (β = 0.083, p <.001) and marital status moderated this association (β = -0.058, p <.01). In addition, depression partially mediated the relationship between friendship and cognitive functioning (β = 0.015, p <.001).

DISCUSSION: The results implied that friendship is important for maintaining cognitive functioning in later life and widowed older Chinese adults may benefit more from friendship in its relationship to cognitive functioning than married older Chinese adults. Further, one potential pathway linking friendship to cognitive functioning may be through depression; however, more research is needed to support this finding. Intervention programs aimed at building friendship opportunities may be one way to achieve better cognitive aging.

© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].

Keywords: CLASS; cognitive ability; marital status; psychological well-being; social networks

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