IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i18p6560-d411030.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does Education Moderate the Relationship between Social Capital and Cognitive Function among Older Adults? Evidence from Suzhou City, China

Author

Listed:
  • Jingyue Zhang

    (Institute of Gender and Culture, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
    Department of Sociology, School of Philosophy and Sociology, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

  • Nan Lu

    (Department of Social Work and Social Policy, School of Sociology and Population Studies, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
    Sau Po Centre on Ageing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Wenxiu Wang

    (Department of Population, Resources and Environment, Northeast Asian Studies College, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China)

Abstract

While social capital is recognized as an important protective determinant of cognitive function in later life, there is a lack of research examining the potential moderators and mediators in the mechanisms linking social capital to cognitive function. This study investigated the moderating role of education on the relationship between social capital and cognitive function among older adults in urban Chinese communities. Data were derived from a community survey conducted in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, in late 2015. A quota sampling method was applied to recruit respondents aged 60 years or older from 16 communities in the Gusu district. The final analytic sample size was 446. Multiple group analysis was applied to test the proposed model. The results show that cognitive social capital was significantly associated with cognitive function in the high education group only. Structural social capital was not significantly associated with cognitive function. The findings highlight the important role of social capital in influencing cognitive function in later life. Social capital interventions could be particularly useful as a preventive approach to help older adults sustain their cognitive function levels. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Jingyue Zhang & Nan Lu & Wenxiu Wang, 2020. "Does Education Moderate the Relationship between Social Capital and Cognitive Function among Older Adults? Evidence from Suzhou City, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6560-:d:411030
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6560/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6560/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jingyue Zhang & Nan Lu, 2019. "What Matters Most for Community Social Capital among Older Adults Living in Urban China: The Role of Health and Family Social Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Jingyue Zhang & Shicun Xu & Nan Lu, 2019. "Community-Based Cognitive Social Capital and Self-Rated Health among Older Chinese Adults: The Moderating Effects of Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-11, July.
    3. Tomoko Ito & Kenta Okuyama & Takafumi Abe & Miwako Takeda & Tsuyoshi Hamano & Kunihiko Nakano & Toru Nabika, 2019. "Relationship between Individual Social Capital and Cognitive Function among Older Adults by Gender: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-9, June.
    4. De Silva, Mary J. & Huttly, Sharon R. & Harpham, Trudy & Kenward, Michael G., 2007. "Social capital and mental health: A comparative analysis of four low income countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 5-20, January.
    5. Dupre, M.E. & Liu, G. & Gu, D., 2008. "Predictors of longevity: Evidence from the oldest old in China," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(7), pages 1203-1208.
    6. Agampodi, Thilini Chanchala & Agampodi, Suneth Buddhika & Glozier, Nicholas & Siribaddana, Sisira, 2015. "Measurement of social capital in relation to health in low and middle income countries (LMIC): A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 95-104.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yanhui Mao & Chuanyu Peng & Yan Liang & Guoping Yuan & Jianhong Ma & Marino Bonaiuto, 2022. "The Relationship Between Perceived Residential Environment Quality (PREQ) and Community Identity: Flow and Social Capital as Mediators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 771-797, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nan Lu & Shicun Xu & Jingyue Zhang, 2021. "Community Social Capital, Family Social Capital, and Self-Rated Health among Older Rural Chinese Adults: Empirical Evidence from Rural Northeastern China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Ma Yuan & Cao Yue-qun & Wang Hao & Xiang Hong, 2022. "Does Social Capital Promote Health?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(2), pages 501-524, July.
    3. Sibo Zhao & Yanwen Li & Yonggang Su & Long Sun, 2021. "Reliability and Validity of the Chinese General Social Capital Scale and Its Effect on Physical Disease and Psychological Distress among Chinese Medical Professionals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-13, June.
    4. Qian Sun & Nan Lu, 2020. "Social Capital and Mental Health among Older Adults Living in Urban China in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Ezumah, Nkoli & Manzano, Ana & Ezenwaka, Uchenna & Obi, Uche & Ensor, Tim & Etiaba, Enyi & Onwujekwe, Obinna & Ebenso, Bassey & Uzochukwu, Benjamin & Huss, Reinhard & Mirzoev, Tolib, 2022. "Role of trust in sustaining provision and uptake of maternal and child healthcare: Evidence from a national programme in Nigeria," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    6. Jingyue Zhang & Shicun Xu & Nan Lu, 2019. "Community-Based Cognitive Social Capital and Self-Rated Health among Older Chinese Adults: The Moderating Effects of Education," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-11, July.
    7. Zhang, Robert Jiqi, 2020. "Social trust and satisfaction with life: A cross-lagged panel analysis based on representative samples from 18 societies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    8. Nan Lu & Shicun Xu & Qinghong Zhou, 2020. "Social Capital and Preferences for Aging in Place Among Older Adults Living in Rural Northeast China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-10, July.
    9. Nan Lu & Jingyue Zhang, 2019. "Social Capital and Self-Rated Health among Older Adults Living in Urban China: A Mediation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-10, October.
    10. Jingyue Zhang & Nan Lu, 2019. "What Matters Most for Community Social Capital among Older Adults Living in Urban China: The Role of Health and Family Social Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-14, February.
    11. Zhongliang Bai & Zijing Wang & Tiantai Shao & Xia Qin & Zhi Hu, 2020. "Relationship between Individual Social Capital and Functional Ability among Older People in Anhui Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-13, April.
    12. Xiangjing Zhang & Wusi Zhou & Biya Jiang, 2022. "Patterns of Living Lost? Measuring Community Participation and Other Influences on the Health of Older Migrants in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    13. Fu, Yao & Jordan, Lucy P. & Zhou, Xiaochen & Chow, Cheng & Fang, Lue, 2023. "Longitudinal associations between parental migration and children's psychological well-being in Southeast Asia: The roles of caregivers' mental health and caregiving quality," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    14. Maria Pavlova & Rainer Silbereisen & Kamil Sijko, 2014. "Social Participation in Poland: Links to Emotional Well-Being and Risky Alcohol Consumption," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 29-44, May.
    15. Agampodi, Thilini Chanchala & Agampodi, Suneth Buddhika & Glozier, Nicholas & Siribaddana, Sisira, 2015. "Measurement of social capital in relation to health in low and middle income countries (LMIC): A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 95-104.
    16. Alison Andrew & Orazio P. Attanasio & Britta Augsburg & Jere Behrman & Monimalika Day & Pamela Jervis & Costas Meghir & Angus Phimister, 2020. "Mothers' Social Networks and Socioeconomic Gradients of Isolation," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2261, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    17. Yanzhe Zhang & Bowen Zou & Huai Zhang & Jian Zhang, 2022. "Empirical Research on Male Preference in China: A Result of Gender Imbalance in the Seventh Population Census," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-17, May.
    18. Harris Hyun-soo Kim, 2018. "Investigating the Associations between Ethnic Networks, Community Social Capital, and Physical Health among Marriage Migrants in Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, January.
    19. Jiafeng Gu & Ruiyu Zhu, 2020. "Social Capital and Self-Rated Health: Empirical Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-15, December.
    20. Brusilovskiy, Eugene & Salzer, Mark S., 2012. "A study of environmental influences on the well-being of individuals with psychiatric disabilities in Philadelphia, PA," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(10), pages 1591-1601.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6560-:d:411030. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.