Patterns Of Social Engagement Research Articles

The longitudinal study of the relationship between social participation pattern and depression symptoms in frail older adults.

Mental health challenges are encountered by frail older adults as the population ages. The extant literature is scant regarding the correlation between depressive symptoms and social participation among frail older adults. This study is based on an analysis of data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) participants aged 60 and older who are frail. A frailty index (FI) was developed for the purpose of assessing the frailty level of the participants. Additionally, latent class analysis (LCA) was employed to classify the participants' social engagement patterns in 2015 and 2018. The study used ordered logistic regression to examine the relationship between social participation type and depressive symptoms. We also used Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) methods to explore the impact of changes in social activity types on depressive symptoms after three years of follow-up in 2018. In addition, the response surface analysis (RSM) investigation explored the relationship among FI, depression, and social participation. A total of 4,384 participants completed the baseline survey; three years later, 3,483 were included in the follow-up cohort. The baseline survey indicates that female older adults in rural areas who are single, have lower incomes, shorter sleep durations, and lighter weights exhibited more severe depressive symptoms. Social participation patterns were categorized into five subgroups by LCA. The findings indicate that individuals classified as "board game enthusiasts" (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.47-0.82) and those as "extensive social interaction" (OR,0.67; 95% CI, 0.49-0.90) have a significantly lower likelihood of developing depressive symptoms compared to the "socially isolated" group. We also discovered that "socially isolated" baseline participants who transitioned to the "helpful individual" group after three years had significantly greater depressed symptoms (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.44). More social activity types and less FI are linked to lower depression in our study. The results of the study emphasize the importance of social participation patterns and the number of social participation types in relation to the severity of depression among frail older adults individuals. This study's findings may provide important insights for addressing depressive symptoms in frail older adults person.

Temporal and Racial/Ethnic Patterns of Social Engagement among Older Adults: Evidence from American Time Use Survey 2019 to 2022.

This study examines temporal and racial/ethnic patterns in social engagement among older adults from 2019 to 2022, using data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) for adults aged 60 and older (n = 13,605). Social engagement was operationalized as time spent on five activities in in-home and out-of-home settings. Descriptive analysis was used to characterize temporal trends of social engagement, and zero-inflated negative binomial regression was utilized to estimate year-specific racial/ethnic differences. Results indicate an initial decline in out-of-home social engagement, followed by a gradual recovery. Racial differences in social engagement became salient during the pandemic period. The evolving racial and ethnic patterns in social engagement underscore the challenges that Black and Hispanic older adults faced during the public health crisis. Understanding activity patterns specific to racial/ethnic groups has implications for targeted interventions, informing strategies to support Black, Hispanic, and other minoritized older adults in public health emergencies.

Social and joint attention during shared book reading in young autistic children: a potential marker for social development.

Atypical patterns of social engagement and joint attention behaviors are diagnostic criteria for people with autism spectrum disorder. Experimental tasks using eye-tracking methodologies have, however, shown inconsistent results. The development of tasks with greater ecological validity and relevance for developmentally appropriate social milestones has been identified as important for the field. We developed a novel, dynamic eye-tracking task emulating a shared book reading (SBR) scenario. Four SBR videos of an adult reader engaging with the viewer while reading a children's picture book and including sequenced bids for joint attention were developed. Participants included 90 children (N = 56 autistic children, N = 34 neurotypical children; aged 3-12). Social attention was also measured in a live free play task between participants and an experimenter. Compared to neurotypical children, autistic children displayed reduced attention to socially salient stimuli including the reader's face and picture book across SBR videos and during joint attention bids specifically. In contrast, they showed increased attention to nonsalient background stimuli compared to their neurotypical peers. These attention patterns in autistic children were associated with reduced verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills and increased symptoms associated with autism. Interestingly, positive correlations in the frequency of eye gaze between SBR and free play suggested a potential predictive value for social attention in live social interactions. Findings highlight the utility of SBR eye-tracking tasks in understanding underlying divergences in social engagement and joint attention between autistic and neurotypical children. This commonly practiced early childhood activity may provide insights into the relationship between social engagement and learning to reveal how such attentional patterns might influence broader developmental and educational outcomes.

Sensory Health Among Older Adults in the United States: A Neighborhood Context Approach.

Sensory health declines with age but remains critical to the navigation and enjoyment of everyday life. Neighborhoods are key sites of environmental exposure, social engagement, and access to resources that can shape sensory health, yet the residential neighborhood is understudied as a determinant of sensory function. We use data from Rounds 1 and 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project to examine how subjective and objective measures of older adults' residential areas are associated with sensory health in a series of cross-sectional and multilevel regression models. In cross-sectional models, higher levels of perceived neighborhood social ties are associated with significantly better self-rated vision. Older adults who reside in more densely populated tracts are more likely to have significantly worse olfactory identification, whereas residing in tracts with higher levels of concentrated disadvantage is associated with significantly lower levels of self-rated vision. In multilevel models, residing in more densely populated tracts is associated with significantly worse olfactory identification, whereas tract-level concentrated disadvantage is associated with significantly worse hearing and vision. We propose that neighborhood characteristics could influence certain environmental exposures, the amount of time that older adults spend out of the home, patterns of social engagement, and access to preventative care that collectively affect sensory health. Residential neighborhoods may be important sites of potential intervention to slow age-related sensory declines and other related conditions.

PHILANTHROPIC ACTIVITIES OF PROTESTANT CHURCHES IN UKRAINE: CONSTRUCTIVE MANIFESTATIONS OF SOCIAL ACTIVISM AMID THE RUSSO-UKRAINIAN WAR

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Nowadays, the exploration of topics pertaining to the patterns of social engagement within religious organizations is of considerable importance and in demand among researchers in history, theology, religious studies, political science, and other disciplines. Therefore, the research is built upon the works of distinguished Ukrainian and foreign experts, such as theologians, religious scholars, philosophers, historians, psychologists, as well as the observations of volunteers and journalists: S. Schie, S. Guentert, T. Wehner, J. Oostlander, M. Olchman, M. Olchman, P. Dzhordan, O. Brodetskyi, Ye. Buha, I. Horokholinska, V. Yelenskyi, O. Kolesnyk, A. Kolodnyi, V. Kuryliak, I. Lazarenko, V. Liubashchenko, O. Marchuk, H. Mierienkov, A. Olenchyk, O. Sahan, L. Fylypovych, V. Khromets, N. Tsymbaliuk, M. Cherenkov, S. Cholii, Yu. Chornomorets, A. Yurash, V. Shcherbakov, P. Yarotskyi, among others. The research objective. The research aims to delineate the constructive manifestations of social activism by Protestant denominations in Ukraine amid the ongoing war. The statement of basic materials. The socially meaningful (philanthropic) endeavors of Protestant churches amid the Russia's military aggression against Ukraine are being analyzed. These endeavors have adopted a multi-faceted approach, including charity (charitable actions), volunteering, and more. Significantly, are undoubtedly aimed at tackling complex social challenges, promoting social justice, which is exceptionally crucial today. In essence, the multi-vector social activities represent the core of church life and a pivotal form of functional activity for religious organizations.

Patterns of social participation and impacts on memory among the older people.

This study employs latent class analysis to analyze the social participation patterns of elderly Chinese, as well as the impact of different social participation patterns on memory. According to the results, older persons exhibit four distinct social participation patterns. and senior citizens with a strong emphasis on entertainment had a better memory than those with a low participation level. Although there was no difference in urban elders' memory across the four social engagement patterns, the connection varied significantly between urban and rural seniors. As a result, it is suggested that the elderly's memory be improved by protecting their right to social involvement, enriching the style and content of social participation, and assuring the continuity of their social obligations.

Social engagement and its links to cognition differ across non-Hispanic Black and White older adults.

Racial inequalities in dementia have been linked to disparities in socioeconomic status, chronic diseases, and psychosocial stress. Less focus has been given to psychosocial protective factors. Previous studies suggest that social engagement promotes better cognitive aging, but few have examined whether social engagement or its associations with cognition vary across non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) and Blacks (NHB). Participants included 465 adults (53% NHB) from the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project (Mage = 63.59 ± 3.15) who completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Social engagement was operationalized as network size, frequency of social activity participation, and social support. Cognition was operationalized using factor scores corresponding to five domains: episodic memory, executive functioning, processing speed, language, and visuospatial functioning. Cross-sectional associations between social engagement and cognitive outcomes were examined using race-stratified regressions controlling for age, sex/gender, education, wealth, marital status, depressive symptoms, and chronic diseases. There were no racial differences in social network size or social support. NHB participants reported less social activity participation than NHW participants. Social activity participation was positively associated with memory in NHW, but not NHB. These findings may suggest a threshold effect whereby NHB older adults are less likely to participate in social activities at the level needed to yield cognitive benefits. Lower social activity participation among NHB may reflect structural barriers and/or cultural differences in patterns of social engagement. This study highlights the need to improve measurement of and access to culturally relevant social activities for NHB to combat racial inequalities in cognitive aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Do social determinants of health explain racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection?

Racial/ethnic minorities have experienced higher COVID-19 infection rates than whites, but it is unclear how individual-level housing, occupational, behavioral, and socioeconomic conditions contribute to these disparities in a nationally representative sample. In this study, we assess the extent to which social determinants of health contribute to racial/ethnic differences in COVID-19 infection. Data are from the Understanding America Study's Understanding Coronavirus in America survey (UAS COVID-19 waves 7–29). UAS COVID-19 is one of the only nationally representative longitudinal data sources that collects information on household, work, and social behavioral context during the pandemic. We analyze onset of COVID-19 cases, defined as a positive test or a diagnosis of COVID-19 from a healthcare provider since the previous survey wave, over a year of follow-up (June 2020–July 2021). We consider educational attainment, economic resources, work arrangements, household size, and social distancing as key social factors that may be structured by racism. Cox hazard models indicate that Hispanic people have 48% higher risk of experiencing a COVID-19 infection than whites after adjustment for age, sex, local infection rate, and comorbidities, but we do not observe a higher risk of COVID-19 among Black respondents. Controlling for engagement in any large or small social gathering increases the hazard ratio for Hispanics by 9%, suggesting that had Hispanics had the same social engagement patterns as whites, they may have had even higher risk of COVID-19. Other social determinants—lower educational attainment, working away from home, and number of coresidents—all independently predict higher risk of COVID-19, but do not explain why Hispanic Americans have higher COVID-19 infection risk than whites.

The Association Between Patterns of Social Engagement and Conversion From Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study.

This study examined the association between patterns of social engagement and conversion from cognitive impairment, no dementia (CIND) to dementia. It also tested whether social engagement is associated with conversion independently from physical and cognitive engagements. Data from 2 waves (2010 and 2014) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used. The sample consisted of 1227 people who had CIND in 2010. To identify the heterogeneity of social engagement, latent class analysis was utilized. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was utilized to investigate the association between patterns of social engagement and probability of conversion to dementia and death or dropout. The result showed that patterns of social engagement that represent higher level and more variety of social engagement were associated with lower probabilities of conversion to dementia in 4 years but not with probabilities of death or dropout. The relationship held after controlling for physical and cognitive engagements. Findings implied that promoting social engagement may be protective against developing dementia even for the high-risk group of people with CIND. Future studies should investigate the mechanism behind the relationship between patterns of social engagement and lower probabilities of conversion to dementia.

Social Engagement and Cognitive Health: The Mediating Role of Cognitive and Physical Activity

This study aimed to assess the association between social engagement and conversion from Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (CIND) to dementia and to investigate the mediating role of cognitive and physical engagements on that relationship. Data from two waves (2010 and 2014) of the psychosocial and core modules of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were used. The sample consisted of 929 people who had CIND in 2010 and participated in the survey in 2014. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) with eight indicators of social engagement (activities with children, volunteering with youth/others, attending educational course/organization, meeting up, speaking on the phone, writing or emailing) found three groups: formal and informal social engagement (20.7%), informal social engagement only (48.9%), and low social engagement (30.5%). Binary logistic regression analysis showed sub groups with higher levels and greater variety of social engagements were associated with lower probability of conversion to dementia in four years. Path analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM) framework showed the relationship between patterns of social engagement and lower conversion to dementia was mediated by having higher engagement in cognitive activities (e.g. home maintenance, playing sports), but not by engagement in physical activities (e.g. playing games, using computer). Results from this study implied (1) promoting active social engagement may be a promising intervention to prevent or delay conversion from CIND to dementia, and (2) promoting social engagement may be a particularly effective and efficient strategy since it promotes other activity engagements that may itself prevent or delay conversion from CIND to dementia.

Is community mobility contingent upon driving? Attitudes toward and intentions to use alternative modes of transport according to a mixed-aged sample

BackgroundCommunity mobility, the ability to move about one's community by any mode of transportation, is vital to social participation and wellbeing, especially for older adults, however it is heavily reliant on private motor vehicles. Biopsychosocial risk factors mean that drivers may eventually need to stop driving. Preparation and gradual cessation have been identified as being key in the transition to non-driving; however, little is known about variation in drivers' activities across age groups, and whether drivers contemplate or plan for driving cessation. The aims of this study were to determine any age differences relating to mobility and social engagement patterns, driver identity, whether drivers recognise a need to adapt to non-driving futures, and how mobility needs might be met without driving. MethodParticipants were recruited from university participant pools and massive open online course (MOOC) platforms, social media, research participation databases, and snowball sampling. Respondents completed an online self-reported questionnaire, consisting of items assessing the travel patterns and transport preferences across a sample of 605 participants, aged 18–85 years. Differences in social participation, mobility and recognising and/or planning for driving cessation were explored across age groups. ResultsDrivers identified personally important places accessed by driving. Content analysis revealed two themes. The first of these we titled Routine and Practical, which contained few codes but was frequently endorsed. The second theme, Life Enriching, contained many codes and demonstrated the richness of drivers’ community activities. Analysis of quantitative data revealed older drivers perceived greater life change due to driving cessation and were more aware of potential future driving cessation, but were less willing to move house to be closer to transport and services. Frequency of and satisfaction with socialising were comparable for age groups, highlighting the importance of discretionary travel across the lifespan. No significant differences were found for driving cessation planning between age groups; despite greater awareness of driving cessation, older drivers engaged in the same amount of cessation planning as other groups. DiscussionThe present study demonstrates the similarities across age groups in terms of variety in social activities, providing a timely reminder of the need to consider discretionary mobility of all age groups, and a need to provide appropriate resources to prompt driving cessation planning.

PATTERNS OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

Promoting engagement in social activities may be an intervention that prevents or delays cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, little is known about social engagement among people with mild cognitive impairment. We aim to examine patterns of social engagement among people with mild cognitive impairment and to assess whether factors under four domains of the WHO's ICF model (personal factors, environmental factors, body functions and structures, and health condition) are associated with patterns. Data were drawn from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study. The final sample comprised 1,227 people with Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (CIND). Latent class analysis and multinomial logistic regression were utilized. Three patterns of social engagement were identified: informal social engagement only, formal and informal social engagement, and low social engagement. At least one factor from each domain was associated with the probability of class membership. Our findings suggest that social engagement is heterogeneous among people with CIND and that some groups of people with CIND have possibilities of engaging in more social activities, especially in formal social activities. Results also indicate that providing informal social resources may be essential for social programs designed specifically for people with CIND to promote their formal social engagement. Future study is needed to examine possible differences in outcomes across groups with similar patterns of social engagement.

Social engagement before and after dementia diagnosis in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

BackgroundSocial engagement protects against dementia onset. Less is known about patterns of social engagement around the time of dementia diagnosis. We investigated face-to-face and telephone contact at three times (pre-diagnosis, at report of diagnosis, 2 years post-diagnosis) in individuals who developed dementia and a comparison group.MethodsSocial engagement was assessed at waves 2–7 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing in 4171 individuals aged 50 and older. Dementia was ascertained by either self-reported physician diagnosis or through an informant evaluation of a participant’s functional and cognitive performance compared with a few years earlier. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine differences by group, time, and group-by-time interactions.ResultsThe dementia group reported less face-to-face (p < 0.001) and telephone contact (p < 0.001) than the dementia-free group pre-diagnosis. The dementia group experienced greater reductions in social engagement leading up to dementia diagnosis and in the 2 years following diagnosis (p’s < 0.001).ConclusionGiven that social engagement reduces dementia risk and supports the lived experience of people with dementia, it is important to find ways of promoting social interaction in older adults.

Patterns of Social Engagement Among Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Promoting engagement in social activities may be an intervention that prevents or delays cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, little is known about social engagement among people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We aim to examine patterns of social engagement among people with MCI and to assess whether factors under 4 domains of the WHO's ICF model (personal factors, environmental factors, body functions and structure, and health condition) associate with different patterns of social engagement. Data were drawn from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study. The final sample comprised 1,227 people with cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND). Latent class analysis and multinomial logistic regression were utilized. Three patterns of social engagement were identified: informal social engagement only, formal and informal social engagement, and low social engagement. Factors in each of the 4 ICF model domains were associated with the probability of class membership. Our findings suggest that social engagement is heterogeneous among people with CIND and that some groups of people with CIND have possibilities of engaging in more social activities, especially in formal social activities. Results also indicate that providing informal social resources may be essential for social programs designed specifically for people with CIND to promote their formal social engagement. Future study is needed to examine possible differences in outcomes across groups with similar patterns of social engagement.

The social capitals of recovery in mental health.

In this article, we examine the process of recovery in people who have undertaken treatment for mental health problems, based on interviews with 34 participants. We describe their experiences through the lens of social capital, focusing on the social networks and relationships within which they are embedded and which they utilise to give purpose and meaning to their lives. The accounts give sense of movement from relationships, institutions and networks which were provided through their engagement with services towards relationships outside the health care system which were more freely chosen and which provided a sense that they were able to achieve recognition and make a contribution. The latter included activities such as art, theatre and sport. The relationships and institutions with which they were engaged via the statutory services were described as burdensome and inappropriate, whereas those which were freely chosen appeared more emancipatory and positively constitutive of identity. We have called this latter experience one of 'intentional social capital' because the participants were deliberately choosing and orienting to these networks and were able to derive pleasure and a sense of self from them. The findings have implications for how we see the situation of people recovering from mental health problems inasmuch as professional attitudes and practices could usefully be extended to more fully recognise and encourage wider patterns of social engagement and fulfilment occurring outside the limited contribution of clinical definitions and clinical interventions.

Social engagement and the elderly in rural Indonesia

Rural areas in Indonesia are older relative to urban areas. This paper questions how levels of social engagement vary across among the elderly in rural Indonesia. A sample of 2750 respondents aged 60 and over was drawn from 10 purposely-selected relatively “old” villages. Our three measures of social engagement are: participation in income-generating activities, in communal activities, and in care work. While there are notable village-level differences in patterns of social engagement, the majority of our respondents are actively engaged in productive activities in their old age until they can no longer be so. A negative educational gradient in the likelihood of work participation suggests that needs for income security is a driver of the elderly's work participation. The notion of promoting active ageing, as typically understood in the Western and/or urban contexts, is of secondary importance to health care provision and managing old-age disability in these ageing rural communities.

Restricted Social Engagement among Adults Living with Chronic Conditions.

Background: Social engagement is key to health and quality of life. Little is known about social engagement patterns of middle-aged and older adults who live with one or more chronic illnesses. This study investigated social engagement restrictions among middle-aged and older adults with chronic conditions and factors associated with these restrictions. Methods: Cross-sectional representative data from the National Council on Aging Chronic Care Survey were examined for relationships between social engagement restrictions and chronic conditions, health status, support, quality of life implications, self-care barriers, caregiving, and demographics. Associations were tested using bivariate analyses and binary logistic regression. Results: Participants were 793 middle-aged (age 44–64) and older adults (age 65+) with one or more chronic conditions. Factors associated with social engagement restrictions included having higher education, receiving care, having more physician visits and hospitalizations, being disabled, being unemployed, and having higher Emotional and Physical Problems Scale scores. Conclusions: Findings reveal the prevalence of social engagement restrictions among middle-aged and older adults with chronic conditions. Results highlight the importance of promoting research, assessments, and interventions to increase social engagement among this aging population.

Long-term predictors of loneliness in old age: results of a 20-year national study

ABSTRACTObjectives: The understanding of social phenomena is enhanced if individuals can be studied over longer periods. Regarding loneliness in old age, there is a general lack of longitudinal research. The aim of this study was to examine whether there is an association between loneliness in old age and social engagement 20 years earlier, as stated by life course theory and the convoy model.Method: Data from the nationally representative Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (2002 and 2011 data collection waves) and the Swedish Level of Living Survey (1981 and 1991 data collection waves) were used. The sample included 823 individuals with an average age of 62.2 years at baseline and 82.4 years at follow-up.Results: Each form of social engagement in old age was significantly associated with the same form of social engagement 20 years earlier. Close forms of social engagement were associated with loneliness in old age; as were more distant forms of social engagement, but only when they were considered solely in old age.Conclusion: Patterns of social engagement in old age were established at least 20 years earlier and close forms of social engagement are long-term predictors of loneliness, although current social engagement tended to be more influential on loneliness. The study underlines the importance of interventions targeted at close relationships that can provide social support in old age.

Patterns of social engagement in the transition to later life

As social roles in later life are shaped by significant life events and changes occurring in the late-life transition, examining social engagement in midlife may provide a context for interpreting the ageing social identity. This is particularly important for women, who are heavily dependent on social relationships and are more influenced by social losses and change. ObjectiveTo examine major social changes occurring in the decade prior to late-life, starting from approximately 45–55 years of age. Study designThe study accessed data from the longitudinal prospective Women’s Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP). Participants were 493 women who had completed at least one assessment in the first 12 years of the study. ResultsLiving with a partner was common and stable amongst participants, while the proportion with children still at home decreased markedly (79–44%). Full-time employment also decreased as participants approached the average retirement age (40–13%). Volunteer work was popular throughout the study, increasing slightly with age, and minding grandchildren was common at the end of the study period (80%). ConclusionsTaken together, these findings suggest a notable deficit in participants’ social lives as they transition into later life, but with some evidence of compensation by increasing other social activities.

Social engagement among U.S. Chinese older adults--findings from the PINE Study.

Social engagement is a key indicator of older adults' later life quality and health status, but few studies have comprehensively examined social engagement patterns of U.S. Chinese older adults. This study assesses social engagement patterns among U.S. Chinese older adults. Data were collected by the Population Study of Chinese Elderly project, a cross-sectional population-based study of 3,159 U.S. Chinese older adults aged 60 and older in the greater Chicago area. Social engagement patterns were examined with a list of 16 social engagement activity related questions. Analysis of variance and Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficients were used to examine correlations between sociodemographic and health characteristics and social engagement. Age was negatively associated with social engagement actives for Chinese older adults. Although education had a significant positive correlation on older adults' participation in social engagement activities, income did not show any significant correlation. Perceived health status and quality of life were also positively correlated with social engagement. Chinese older adults were more likely to visit community centers than any other social or cultural venues. This study highlights the important role community centers play in the lives of Chinese older adults. Further, longitudinal studies are also necessary to understand the predictors and outcomes of social engagement levels among Chinese older adults.