Social Engagement and Its Links to Cognition Differ Across Non-Hispanic Black and White Older Adults

Objective: 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). Method: Participants included 465 adults (53% NHB) from the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project (M-age = 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.

Automated summary

Racial inequalities in cognitive aging are linked to disparities in socioeconomic status, chronic diseases, and psychosocial stress. This study highlights the importance of social engagement in promoting better cognitive aging, and suggests that lower social activity participation among Black older adults may contribute to racial differences in cognitive outcomes.