Abstract

Objectives

Previous investigations of cognitive aging have mainly focused on structural aspects of social relations (e.g. network size and composition), thereby neglecting the role of qualitative aspects of social relations. The current longitudinal study examined sex-specific differences in verbal memory decline by measures of perceived relationship quality (social support/strain) by relationship type.

Method

In the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), 10,109 participants aged 50–89 years were assessed at wave 1 (baseline: 2002–03) and followed to wave 9 (2017–18). Verbal memory was assessed by immediate and delayed word-recall tasks. Social support/strain was measured by relationship type (spouse; children; family; friends). Random effects within-between (REWB) modelling was used to separate between- and within-person effects. We estimated associations between social support/strain and (1) baseline levels of memory (main effects), and (2) rate of decline in memory (interaction with time-since-baseline).

Results

Longitudinal associations were most prominent for men, specific to relationship type, and showed between- rather than within-person effects. Among men, higher spousal strain was associated with faster memory decline (β_{between-effect×time} = −0.043; 95% CI [−0.084, −0.002]; p = .039), whilst greater support from children was associated with slower decline (β_{between-effect×time} = 0.020; 95% CI [0.002, 0.039]; p = .033). Men with higher strain from friends showed lower baseline memory (β_{between-effect} = −0.382; 95% CI [−0.627, −0.137]; p=.002) and faster decline (β_{between-effect×time} = −0.047; 95% CI [−0.095, 0.000]; p = .051).

Conclusion

Between-person differences in social support/strain were modestly associated with memory decline, especially among men.

中文翻译：

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社会支持、社会压力和言语记忆力下降：基于英国老龄化队列纵向研究 16 年随访的性别特定关联

摘要

目标

以前对认知老化的研究主要集中在社会关系的结构方面（例如网络规模和组成），从而忽视了社会关系定性方面的作用。目前的纵向研究通过关系类型的感知关系质量（社会支持/压力）测量来检查语言记忆下降的性别差异。

方法

在英国老龄化纵向研究 (ELSA) 中，10,109 名年龄在 50-89 岁的参与者在第 1 波（基线：2002-03 年）和随后的第 9 波（2017-18 年）进行了评估。言语记忆通过即时和延迟的单词回忆任务进行评估。社会支持/压力按关系类型（配偶；子女；家庭；朋友）衡量。之间的随机效应 (REWB) 建模用于区分人与人之间和人内的影响。我们估计了社会支持/压力与 (1) 基线记忆水平（主效应）和 (2) 记忆下降率（与基线后时间的相互作用）之间的关联。

结果

纵向关联在男性中最为突出，特定于关系类型，并显示出人与人之间而非人内的影响。在男性中，配偶压力越大，记忆力下降越快（β _{between-effect × time} = −0.043; 95% CI [−0.084, −0.002]; p = .039），而来自孩子的更多支持与记忆力下降速度减慢相关（β_{间效应 × 时间}= 0.020；95% CI [0.002，0.039]；p = .033）。来自朋友的压力较大的男性表现出较低的基线记忆（β_效应间= −0.382；95% CI [−0.627，−0.137]；p =.002）和更快的下降（β_{效应间×时间}= −0.047；95 % 置信区间 [−0.095, 0.000]；p = .051）。

结论

社会支持/压力的人际差异与记忆力下降适度相关，尤其是在男性中。