How does social support affect functional impairment in late life? Findings of a multicenter prospective cohort study in Germany | Zendy

André Hajek | Zendy; Christian Brettschneider | Zendy; Tina Mallon | Zendy; Carolin van der Leeden | Zendy; Silke Mamone | Zendy; Birgitt Wiese | Zendy; Siegfried Weyerer | Zendy; Jochen Werle | Zendy; Ângela Fuchs | Zendy; Michael Pentzek | Zendy; Steffi G. RiedelHeller | Zendy; Janine Stein | Zendy; Horst Bickel | Zendy; Dagmar Weeg | Zendy; Kathrin Heser | Zendy; Michael Wagner | Zendy; Wolfgang Maier | Zendy; Martin Scherer | Zendy; Tobias Luck | Zendy; HansHelmut König | Zendy

Open Access

How does social support affect functional impairment in late life? Findings of a multicenter prospective cohort study in Germany

Author(s) -

André Hajek,

Christian Brettschneider,

Tina Mallon,

Carolin van der Leeden,

Silke Mamone,

Birgitt Wiese,

Siegfried Weyerer,

Jochen Werle,

Ângela Fuchs,

Michael Pentzek,

Steffi G. RiedelHeller,

Janine Stein,

Horst Bickel,

Dagmar Weeg,

Kathrin Heser,

Michael Wagner,

Wolfgang Maier,

Martin Scherer,

Tobias Luck,

HansHelmut König

Publication year - 2017

Publication title -

age and ageing

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.014

H-Index - 143

eISSN - 1468-2834

pISSN - 0002-0729

DOI - 10.1093/ageing/afx012

Subject(s) - social support , medicine , affect (linguistics) , prospective cohort study , cohort , cohort study , longitudinal study , gerontology , multicenter study , activities of daily living , functional impairment , successful aging , demography , psychology , clinical psychology , physical therapy , randomized controlled trial , communication , pathology , sociology , psychotherapist

Objective to investigate how social support affects functional impairment (FI) in late life in a longitudinal approach. Methods in a multicenter prospective cohort study, subjects in old age (≥75 years at baseline) were interviewed every 1.5 years. Social support was quantified in the follow-up (FU) Waves 2 and 4 (FU Wave 2: n = 2,349; FU Wave 4: n = 1,484). FI was assessed by using the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale. Results fixed effects regressions showed that a decrease in social support is associated with FI in the total sample and in both sexes. The effect on FI was most pronounced with the dimension social integration, whereas changes in practical support only affected FI in the total sample and changes in emotional support only affected FI in men. Conclusions our findings emphasise the importance of social support for functional status in late life. Thus, strengthening social support in old age might be effective in maintaining functional abilities.

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