Can Meaningful Activity Mediate the Relationship between Social Support and Cognitive Health Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults?

Background and Purpose: As the expansion of the older adult population develops into a global trend, the health of this segment is of increasing importance. Research has shown that cognitive decline in older adults can be staved off via increases in social support. Meanwhile, engagement in meaningful activities has been associated with positive psychological outcomes. Although several studies have examined social support and cognitive health, the role of engagement in meaningful activities as a mediator between social support and cognitive health among community-dwelling older adults is rarely investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to 1) examine the effects of social support on cognitive health, and 2) explore whether engagement in meaningful activity might function as a mediator between social support and cognitive health among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: This study utilized secondary data from the Well Elderly 2 study conducted in Los Angeles, California. The Well Elderly 2 study was a face-to-face survey that obtained self-reported measures of individual health-related quality of life, life satisfaction, and depression. Baseline data were analyzed (n=460), consisting of 172 nonminority and 288 minority older adult participants. The current analyses included correlations, multivariate linear regression, and the Hayes PROCESS macro.

Results: Among the total sample, the majority of participants were female (n=303, 65.9%), identified as single (n=377, 82%), and reported earning less than $1000 per month (n=240, 52%). A multivariate regression analysis showed that after controlling for socio-demographic variables, social support was statistically associated with cognitive health among older adults. Additionally, mediation analysis revealed that the association between social support and cognitive health was significantly medicated by meaningful activity among older adults (B = .57 (95% CL [.35, .83]). This finding suggests that social support was positively associated with meaningful activity, which in turn predicted a greater level of cognitive health.

Conclusion and Implications: The findings of this study suggest that increasing meaningful activity may help enhance the impact of social support on cognitive health among older adults. Social workers can expand the number and variety of activities through the development of tailored programs and activities for older adults. Another recommended approach would be to improve access to available programs and activities to provide the opportunity for meaningful engagement.