Research Abstracts: Presentations

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Research talk at the Gerontological Society of America's Annual Conference 2023 *denotes presenter 

Authors: P. Thomas* PhD, M. Sauerteig, MS, S. Bauldry PhD, S. Nemeth*, K. Ferraro PhD

Background: Longer Lives are often accompanied by greater risk of cognitive and physical impairments, but we investigate whether social relationships reduce the reise of those impairments. We examine dual functionality - the absence of both dementia and activities of daily living impairments - and draw upon stress process and social integration theories to examine the impact of positive and negative demensions of relationship quality with friends and family to better understand how social factors may affect how long people maintain both their physical and cognitive functioning in later life.  

Methods: We use nationally representative panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016, N=6,985) and Weibull accelerated failure-time models. 

Results: Higher strain with family members and with friends was associated with a loss of dual functionality at earlier ages (Time Ratio = .97 [95% CI: .95, .99] and TR = .96 [CI: .94, .98], respectively). Greater social support from family members was beneficial, related to a longer time as dual functional (TR = 1.04, CI: 1.02, 1.06); however, more support from friends was related to loss of dual functionality at earlier ages (TR = .98, CI: .96, ,99).

Discussion: Findings reveal the implications of social support and strain in different types of relationships for dual functionality. 

Poster presentation at the Summer Undergraduate Research Conference *denotes presenter 

Authors: Samuel R. Nemeth, Patrica A. Thomas, Cassidy M. Stoddart*, Kenneth F. Ferraro

Background: Prior studies reveal an association between elements of social relationships and cognitive health, but we examine whether the sense of community belonging at different ages is related to cognitive health during later life, guided by the life course perspective. This study also examines whether community belonging influences cognitive health among Black, White, and Hispanic adults. 

Methods: We used data from the 2016-2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, including unique data from the 2017 Life History Mail Survey, to analyze how feelings of local community belonging at multiple life stages may influence cognition scores and how this may vary across White, Black, and Hispanic respondents. 

Results: In the full sample, respondents who experienced greater community belonging during early life and later life had better cognitive health. A similer pattern emerged among Black respondents in analyses stratified by race-ethnicity. Among Hispanic respondents, community belonging was not significantly related to cognition. Among White respondents, community belonging in later life was associated with better cognitive health. 

Discussion: The findings suggest community belonging over the life course is beneficial for later-life cognitive health, especially for Black adults. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating the life course perspective to examine how the feeling of community belonging at various stages in life impacts later in life cognition. 

Poster presentation at the Gerontological Society of America Annual Conference. *denotes presenter 

Authors: P. Thomas PhD, M. Sauerteig, MS, S. Bauldry PhD, S. Nemeth*, K. Ferraro PhD

Objective: With population aging and the growing population at-risk of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias, there is a need for a better understanding of how social factors may affect cognitive impairment.

Background: Drawing from stress process theory and social integration theory, we examine the impact of positive and negative dimensions of relationship quality with friends and family on cognitive impairment in later life. 

Method: We analyze Cox proportional hazards models using nationally representative panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016, N=10,626) to examine how the quality of family and friend relationships in adulthood may influence risk of cognitive impairment. 

Results: Strain with family members and with friends was significantly related to higher risk of cognitive impairment (Hazard Ratio: 1.15 [95% CI: 1.08, 1.21] and 1.20 [95% CI: 1.13, 1.28], respectively). Support from family members was beneficial, related to lower risk of cognitive impairment (HR: 0.93, CI: .89, .99); however, support from friends was related to higher risk of cognitive impairment (HR: 1.10, CI: 1.05, 1.14). 

Conclusion: Findings reveal the implications of social support and strain in different types of relationships for cognitive health.

Poster presentation at the Purdue Undergraduate Research Conference 2022 *denotes presenter 

Authors: P. Thomas PhD, M. Sauerteig, MS, S. Bauldry PhD, S. Nemeth*, K. Ferraro PhD

Objective: Longer lives are often accompanied by greater risk of cognitive and physical impairments, but we investigate whether social relationships reduce the risk of those impairments.

Background: We examine dual functionality – the absence of both dementia and activities of daily living impairments – and draw upon stress process and social integration theories to examine the impact of positive and negative dimensions of relationship quality with friends and family to better understand how social factors may affect how long people maintain both their physical and cognitive functioning in later life. 

Method: We use nationally representative panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016, N=6,985) and Weibull accelerated failure-time models.

Results: Higher strain with family members and with friends was associated with a loss of dual functionality at earlier ages (Time Ratio = .97 [95% CI: .95, .99] and TR = .96 [CI: .94, .98], respectively). Greater social support from family members was beneficial, related to a longer time as dual functional (TR = 1.04, CI: 1.02, 1.06); however, more support from friends was related to loss of dual functionality at earlier ages (TR = .98, CI: .96, .99).  

Conclusion: Findings reveal the implications of social support and strain in different types of relationships for dual functionality.