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© 2019 The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved. Previous studies linking social activity and disability have been limited by focussing on self-reported physical performance in older adults (>65). We examined whether social participation in mid-life is associated with objective and subjective measures of physical performance in older age. Methods: Participants of the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development reported their involvement in social activities at ages 43 and 60-64 years; frequency of such involvement was classified into thirds. Physical performance was measured at age 60-64 using: grip strength; standing balance; chair rises; timed get-up-and-go; self-reported physical function from the Short Form-36. Multivariable regression was used to examine longitudinal associations between social participation and each physical performance measure. We also investigated whether change in social participation between 43 and 60-64 was associated with each outcome. Results: In fully adjusted models, higher frequency of social participation at 43 was associated with faster chair rise (1.42 repetitions/min, 95% CI 0.45-2.39) and timed get-up-and-go speed (2.47 cm/s, 95% CI 0.27-4.67) and lower likelihood of self-report limitations (OR of low physical function 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.91) at 60-64 compared with low frequency. Better performance in objectively measured outcomes was observed only if higher social participation persisted over time whereas lower odds of self-reported limitations were found in all groups when compared to those with persistently low participation (ORs 0.43-0.56, all P≤0.02). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that associations between higher levels of social participation in mid-life and better physical performance exist only if this social participation persists through to older age.
Author(s): Vusirikala A, Ben-Shlomo Y, Kuh D, Stafford M, Cooper R, Morgan GS
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Journal of Public Health
Year: 2019
Volume: 29
Issue: 5
Pages: 986-992
Print publication date: 01/10/2019
Online publication date: 04/02/2019
Acceptance date: 02/04/2018
ISSN (print): 1101-1262
ISSN (electronic): 1464-360X
Publisher: Oxford University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz005
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckz005
PubMed id: 30726911
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