Journal Article

The impact of social engagement on health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms in old age - evidence from a multicenter prospective cohort study in Germany

Stein, Janine, Ernst, Annette, Wiese, Birgitt, Pentzek, Michael, Mallon, Tina, Maier, Wolfgang, Mamone, Silke, Weeg, Dagmar, Scherer, Martin, König, Hans-Helmut, Heser, Kathrin, Brettschneider, Christian, Weyerer, Siegfried, Riedel-Heller, Steffi G., Werle, Jochen, Luck, Tobias, Hajek, André, Wagner, Michael, Bickel, Horst, Fuchs, Angela

2017

Overview

Background Thus far, only a few longitudinal studies investigated the impact of social engagement on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depressive symptoms in old age. Therefore, we aimed to examine the impact of social engagement on HRQoL and depressive symptoms in late life. Methods Individuals aged 75 years and over at baseline were interviewed every 1.5 years in a multicenter prospective cohort study in Germany. While HRQoL was quantified by using the Visual Analogue Scale (EQ VAS) of the EQ-5D instrument, depressive symptoms was assessed by using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Individuals reported the frequency (“never” to “every day”) of social engagement (e.g., engagement in the church, as a volunteer, in a party, or in a club) in the last four weeks. Fixed effects regressions were used to estimate the effect of social engagement on the outcome variables. Results After adjusting for age, marital status, functional status and chronic diseases, fixed effects regressions revealed that the onset of social engagement markedly increased HRQoL and considerably decreased depressive symptoms in the total sample and in women, but not men. Conclusions Our findings corroborate the relevance of social engagement for HRQoL and depressive symptoms in old age. Encouraging the individuals to start, maintain and expand social engagement in late life might help to maintain and improve HRQoL and decrease depressive symptoms.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Age / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Analysis / Chronic illnesses / Cohort analysis / Correlation analysis / Depression - psychology / Depression, Mental / Depressive symptoms / Diagnosis / EQ-VAS / Female / Geriatric Depression Scale / Geriatrics / Germany / Health aspects / Health risk assessment / Health-related quality of life / Humans / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Mathematical analysis / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Men / Mental depression / Old age / Older people / Prospective Studies / Quality of Life / Quality of Life Research / Social aspects / Social Environment / Social Participation - psychology / Social support / Studies / Visual perception