EFFECT OF THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS ON COGNITION: FINDING FROM K2 STUDY. (11th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Takayama, M; Ishioka, Y; Sugawara, I
• Is Part Of: Innovation in aging. Volume 2(2018)Supplement 1
• Page Start: 110
• Page End: 110
• Publication Date: 2018-11-11
• Subjects: Aging -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; 612.67
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igy023.407
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-5300

Abstract

Abstract: The previous studies repeatedly reported that the physical and social environments were related to subjective well-being in older adults. Do environments relate to maintain cognitive functions in older adults directly and/or indirectly? To maintain good cognitive abilities is important to ageing well. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between cognitive functions and the physical and social environments in older adults after age 75. We used data from locally representative longitudinal study of older adults aged 75 ± 1, 80 ± 1, 85 ± 1 conducted in Japan (The Keio-Kawasaki Aging Study; N = 1388). We assessed the physical and social environments (age-friendly communities), social engagement (social activity participation), sense of communities (membership, attachment, and cohesion), and cognitive abilities. Covariance structure analysis showed that after controlling age and an educational factor, which were related to cognitive functions, social activity participation played a significant role to contribute to maintain cognitive functions directly, and that better physical and social environments took a facilitating role to increase frequencies of social activity participation through higher sense of community (membership and attachment). The previous studies reported that age-friendly cities and communities were related to subjective well-being in older adults. Results suggested that better physical and social environments had an important role to maintain cognitive function as well as well-being in older adults through sense of community and social engagement.