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Social participation and risk of developing dementia
Sommerlad A, Kivimäki M, Larson EB, Röhr S, Shirai K, Singh-Manoux A, Livingston G.. Nature aging, 2023-05-18
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The increasing number of people with dementia globally illustrates the urgent need to reduce dementia's scale and impact. Lifetime social participation may affect dementia risk by increasing cognitive reserve, and through brain maintenance by reducing stress and improving cerebrovascular health. It may therefore have important implications for individual behavior and public health policy aimed at reducing dementia burden. Observational study evidence indicates that greater social participation in midlife and late life is associated with 30-50% lower subsequent dementia risk, although some of this may not be causal. Social participation interventions have led to improved cognition but, partly due to short follow-up and small numbers of participants, no reduction in risk of dementia. We summarize the evidence linking social participation with dementia, discuss potential mechanisms by which social participation is likely to reduce and mitigate the impact of neuropathology in the brain, and consider the implications for future clinical and policy dementia prevention interventions.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Sommerlad, A., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Röhr, S., Shirai, K., Singh-Manoux, A., et al. (2023). Social participation and risk of developing dementia. Nature aging. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00387-0
Vancouver
Sommerlad A, Kivimäki M, Larson EB, Röhr S, Shirai K, Singh-Manoux A, et al. Social participation and risk of developing dementia. Nature aging. 2023. doi:10.1038/s43587-023-00387-0. PMID: 37202513.
BibTeX
@article{sommerlad2023-37202513,
author = {Sommerlad, A. and Kivimäki, M. and Larson, E. B. and Röhr, S. and Shirai, K. and Singh-Manoux, A. and Livingston, G.},
title = {{Social participation and risk of developing dementia}},
journal = {Nature aging},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1038/s43587-023-00387-0},
pmid = {37202513},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00387-0}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Observational study evidence indicates that greater social participation in midlife and late life is associated with 30-50% lower subsequent dementia risk, although some of this may not be causal.
Why it matters
This review of observational studies found that greater social participation in midlife and late life was associated with 30-50% lower dementia risk, though some of this may not be causal. Social participation interventions improved cognition but, partly due to short follow-up and small numbers, did not reduce dementia risk.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 56/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Nature aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Nature Aging: journal h-index 103 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 205 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 41.0 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 36.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 12 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 201 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Gill Livingston: h-index 99 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | University of Washington: institution h-index 3,540 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 12 institution(s) in 8 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 37202513) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 56 / 100 | — |
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