Assessing the role of depressive symptoms in the association between social engagement and cognitive functioning among older adults: analysis of cross-sectional data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI)

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the confounding effects of depressive symptoms and the role of gender in the association between social engagement and cognitive functioning among older Indian adults. DESIGN: Large-scale cross-sectional survey data were analysed. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017–2019) were used in the analysis. The sample included 23 584 individuals aged 60 years and above (11 403 men and 12 181 women). OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome variable was cognitive functioning, which was based on various measures including immediate and delayed word recall, orientation, executive functioning, arithmetic ability and object naming. Social engagement measure consists of marital status, living arrangement, availability of confidant, and participation in indoor games, and social and cultural functions. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Significant gender differences in mean cognition scores (men: 25.8, women: 21.1; on a scale of 0–43) were observed. Two-way stratification between social engagement and depressive symptoms was significantly associated with cognitive functioning after controlling for selected explanatory factors. Older men with a low level of social engagements had significantly poor cognitive functioning (β=−1.12; 95% CI: −1.53 to –0.72) compared with men with a high level of social engagements. On the other hand, women with a higher level of social engagement performed poorly on cognitive tests (β=−1.54; 95% CI: −2.11 to –0.98) compared with men with higher social engagements. Three-way stratification between social engagement, gender and depressive symptoms suggests that social engagement’s buffering effects are lower in women than in men. The Karlson-Holm-Breen method identified a significant confounding effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between social engagement and cognitive functioning. CONCLUSION: The positive association of social engagement with cognitive functioning was significantly confounded by depressive symptoms, suggesting the need for maintaining social relations that help improve mental health and cognitive functioning among older adults.