Abstract
The concept of social capital encompasses all relationships and networks among people in a local community or society as a whole. It has been found to be associated with the health and daily living status of people. Furthermore, an association between social capital and cognitive functions among the elderly has been suggested in recent years. However, the number of such reports is very few. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the relationship between social capital and cognitive functions among the elderly living in a local community in Japan. A questionnaire survey was administered to 192 elderly individuals belonging to 10 neighborhood elderly groups. A regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between cognitive functions and the level of engagement with the local community, after adjusting for age, gender, and symptoms of depression. Valid responses were collected from 145 participants (mean age: 75.3 years). An analysis of the data concerning the level of engagement with the local community revealed a significant difference in the cognitive function scores between the group of people who indicated that they had someone they could consult (n = 69) and the group that indicated they had no one to consult (n = 76) (regression coefficient: -0.61, p = 0.0038, 95% confidence interval: -1.02 to -0.20). This result indicates the existence of a significant correlation between social capital and cognitive functions of the elderly living in a local community. In future studies, we need to investigate the same with a larger number of participants from a wider geographical area, and by incorporating more indicators for a comprehensive evaluation of social capital.
Highlights
The concept of social capital encompasses all relationships and networks among people in a local community or society as a whole
The present study aims to evaluate the relationship between social capital and cognitive functions among the elderly living in a local community in Japan
This result indicates the existence of a significant correlation between social capital and cognitive functions of the elderly living in a local community
Summary
The concept of social capital encompasses all relationships and networks among people in a local community or society as a whole. Social capital has been shown to be associated with health status and life expectancy. Kawachi et al conducted a large-scale survey of the individuals who live in 39 US states and revealed that the risk of perceived poor health increased in individuals living in states with a lower level of social capital [2]. With an increasing level of social capital, both the suicide rate and number of individuals committing suicide decrease, and the life expectancy increases [3]. In a nationwide survey conducted in Japan, the unemployment rate was lower and the birth rate was higher in communities with a high level of social capital [4]. In a survey of Tokyo Metropolitan area residents, the percentage of individuals who felt that they were in good health was higher among those having closer interactions with other people in the community [5]
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