Meta-analysis · 2023
Association between social integration and risk of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.
S Wang, A Molassiotis, C Guo, ISH Leung, AYM Leung. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
BACKGROUND: Dementia is an emerging public health issue. Growing evidence emerged on the association between social integration and the risk of dementia. However, the magnitude of the association between different aspects of social integration and the risk of dementia is unclear. METHODS: Five databases were systematically searched. Newcastle-Ottawa scale for assessing the quality of the reporting was used for quality appraisal. Longitudinal cohort studies examining the association between social integration and the risk of dementia were analyzed using random effects model. A series of sensitivity analyses was conducted to enhance the robustness of the findings. RESULTS: Forty publications generated from 32 studies/databases were included. The meta-analysis showed that strong social engagement (overall RR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.74-0.89, p < 0.001) and frequent social contact (overall RR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.76-0.97, p = 0.018) were positively associated with decreased risk of dementia. The influence of social support (overall RR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.80-1.06, p = 0.238) and close social contact (overall RR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.48-1.13, p = 0.167) was not significant. Loneliness was significantly associated with an increased risk of dementia (overall RR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.26-1.60, p < 0.001), whereas the influence of social isolation (overall RR = 1.58, 95% CI = 0.80-3.12, p = 0.192) was not significant. A larger social network size (RR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.59-0.97, p = 0.028) was a promising influencing factor even though the number of studies was insufficient for a meta-analysis. However, the heterogeneity among studies was generally high even though sensitivity analysis was conducted. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that high social engagement and frequent
Open sourcedoi:10.1111/jgs.18094PMID 36307921
Edges that cite this paper
- Most meta-analyses link loneliness to a higher risk of later dementia, with pooled risk ratios from 1.23 to 1.58. The largest single cohort, UK Biobank, found almost nothing once other factors were adjusted.
- In a large UK Biobank cohort, social isolation was linked to a 1.26-fold increased risk of dementia.
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What Causes What. “Association between social integration and risk of dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.” https://whatcauseswhat.org/papers/p-pmid-36307921 (atlas updated 2026-10-17).