Social network types in old age and incident dementia

Background:

Lack of social support and social isolation have shown to be a major risk factor for poor health, mortality, and dementia. Our study investigated what factors in old age drive the likelihood to be living in restricted social networks and to what extent those factors then influence the risk of developing dementia.

Methods:

Data analyses were based on the study sample from the LEILA75+, a population-based cohort study examining individuals aged 75 years and older. Social networks were assessed using the practitioner assessment of network type instrument (PANT). The risk having a restricted social network was estimated by using a random-effects and mixed-effects logistic regression model. The Fine-Gray model was employed for calculating conditional probabilities of competing risk of mortality.

Results:

Older age (OR 1.04) and living with a partner or spouse (OR 2.12) were associated with a greater likelihood to have a restricted social network at baseline. After adjusting for cognitive status at baseline, age, gender, marital status, residency, education, comorbidities, and mortality, individuals living in restricted social networks had a significantly higher risk for developing dementia over the study period (HR 2.11) than individuals living in integrated social networks.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that integrating elderly individuals in the wider community is a crucial indicator for dementia risk. As more than half of the study participants were living in restricted social networks, interventions to strengthen social ties and social engagement among elderly ought to be an urgent matter to reduce the burden of dementia on the society.