IMPACT OF SOCIAL DISENGAGEMENT ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IN JAPANESE COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERLY STUDY

摘要

>Aim: Study on the pathways between social disengagement and sarcopenia or its diagnostic physical functions remains inadequate. This study aims to examine the relationship between social engagement and physical functions with a particular focus on two components of social engagement – social participation and social relations – and their differential pathways to physical performance. >Methods: Large-scale longitudinal health-check cohort study, ‘Kashiwa study’, was conducted with subjects of a total of 1,205 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older, who was randomly selected from the resident resister in Kashiwa city, Japan in 2012. Timed up-and-go (TUG), time to rise from a chair 5 times and maximum gait speed were used to assess physical performance. The indicators used to assess social participation were organizational attendance and frequency of going out. Eating alone, reciprocity of social support and social network were used to assess social relations. >Results: The model that linked social engagement and physical performance via two pathways showed a significantly good fit (GFI=0.971; AGFI=0.958; RMSEA=0.043; AIC=342.876; CFI=0.952). Psychological pathway connected social relations with physical performance via loneliness, mental health and nutritional deficiency. Behavioral pathway linked social participation with physical performance via physical inactivity. >Conclusion: Social participation and social relations were related to physical performance via differential pathways. Social preventive measures against physical frailty, especially sarcopenia, need to involve comprehensive assessment of their social engagement and composite interventions to that target both the behavioral and psychological pathways.