Association between social capital and quality of life in older adults with subjective cognitive decline: A cross-sectional study

Background

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is increasingly recognized as a clinical and medical risk factor for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Currently, there is little evidence regarding the quality of life (QoL) in older adults with SCD and the impact of social capital on their QoL.

Aims

To examine the perceptions of social capital and QoL among older adults with SCD.

Methods

A total of 325 participants (92.9 % response rate) with a self-reported diagnosis of SCD completed the Chinese version of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, the Chinese Shortened Social Capital Scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. A t-test was used to compare the QoL score of our sample with the Chinese norm. Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to assess the association of social capital with QoL.

Results

Social capital were strongly correlated with the total QoL, as well as its physical component summary and mental component summary. The QoL score of older adults with SCD was significantly lower than the Chinese norm (P  <  0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that social capital, physical activity, nutrition and anxiety symptoms were factors associated with QoL among older SCD population (P  <  0.05).

Conclusion

The findings of the current study suggest that older adults with SCD may experience lower QoL. Social capital is associated with the QoL in older adults with SCD. These findings have implications for clinicians who work with older adults with SCD.