A STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL INTERACTION AND DEMENTIA

Abstract

Objectives This six-year follow-up study was designed to analyze the relationship between social interaction and dementia. Method All participants (aged 65 years and above) lived in farming communities near major urban centers in Japan (n=558). The contents of the questionnaire covered social interaction (using an index of social interaction constituting 18 items), health status, physical function, family structure, life events, age, and gender. Results After the baseline survey, 108 subjects were analyzed within the six-year period: (1) baseline age and physical function were related to dementia; (2) greater social interaction was positively related to reduced dementia; (3) the multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted for baseline age, gender, and physical function indicated that low frequency of newspaper reading was related to increased dementia. Discussion These findings highlight the importance of social interaction in dementia.