The Longitudinal Association Between Social Isolation and Cognitive Decline Among Canadian Older Adults

Social isolation is an emerging public health concern with an emphasis on its potential preventive impact on cognitive impairment. We hypothesize that change in social isolation is associated with cognitive decline over two years. Latent growth models were used to test the hypothesis using data from the FRéLE longitudinal study among 1643 Canadian community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and over. We assessed social isolation using social participation, social networks, and support from various social ties. We found that less contact with friends and children, less social support from friends, children, and partner, and the absence of partner were significantly associated with cognitive decline. Higher baseline social participation was related to the lower rate of cognitive decline over time. Fewer contacts with grandchildren were associated with cognitive decline over time. Our study suggests that public health policies in age-friendly cities and intergenerational contacts may promote cognitive health in older adults.