The association between social engagement and cognition in older adults: examining sex and ethnoracial group as moderators

ObjectivesRecent research suggests that social engagement may be protective against cognitive decline and dementia. The current study examined the association between social engagement and cognition in a large, ethnoracially diverse cognitively unimpaired cohort of older adults selected for study inclusion based on multi-dimensional risk for cognitive decline.MethodsWe analyzed baseline data from a subset of older adults (N = 1,951; Mage = 68.2) who self-identified as non-Latinx White (n = 1,454), non-Latinx Black (n = 351), and Latinx (n = 146) participating in the U.S. POINTER clinical trial. Social engagement was measured using a composite score of seven items from the U.S. POINTER Physical and Mental Activity Questionnaire, and global cognition was assessed by a multi-domain cognitive composite. Associations between social engagement and cognition across the entire sample were examined, and secondarily, interactions between social engagement with sex and ethnoracial group.ResultsIn the total sample, greater social engagement was associated with better global cognition. For female but not male participants, greater social engagement was associated with better global cognition. In contrast, the ethnoracial group was not a significant moderator.DiscussionGreater social engagement was associated with better global cognition, and these associations varied by sex, but not ethnoracial group. Findings suggest that social engagement, a modifiable lifestyle factor, may be associated with better cognition in a sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults who are at increased risk of cognitive decline. Future research should examine the mechanisms that may influence why some individuals (i.e., women) versus others benefit from increased social engagement in late life.