Social support, social strain and declines in verbal memory: sex-specific associations based on 16-year follow-up of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing cohort

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.

Keywords:

• Social support
• social strain
• memory
• cognitive aging
• longitudinal
• ELSA
• age-associated memory problems

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the interviewers and nurses, the ELSA participants, and colleagues at NatCen Social Research. We thank the original data creators, depositors, copyright holders, the funders of the Data Collections and the UK Data Service for the use of ELSA data. The original data creators, depositors or copyright holders bear no responsibility for the current analysis or interpretation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Dr Jing Liao is supported by National Science Foundation of China/UK Research and Innovation joint call: Understanding and Addressing Health and Social Challenges for Ageing in the UK and China. UK-China Health And Social Challenges Ageing Project (UKCHASCAP): present and future burden of dementia, and policy responses (grant number 72061137003, ES/T014377/1).