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Social participation diversity and cognitive trajectories in older adults with hypertension and diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study
zhu¹ y, wang¹ j, li¹ y, zhang¹ x, chen j.. Research Square, 2026-10-12
Topic: Health services, long-term care and technology
Background Cognitive decline is a major concern among older adults with hypertension and diabetes, two common chronic conditions associated with an elevated risk of dementia and functional impairment. Results Greater diversity of social participation was independently associated with better cognitive function over time. Each additional type of social activity was associated with a 0.147-point increase in cognitive Z-score (β = 0.147, 95% CI: 0.045–0.249, p = 0.005). A significant nonlinear dose-response relationship was observed (p = 0.004), with the largest cognitive benefits occurring between one and four activity types, followed by a plateau at higher levels of participation. In contrast, vigorous physical activity was not significantly associated with cognitive function (β = 0.064, p = 0.693) and did not significantly modify cognitive trajectories over time (p = 0.673). Educational attainment was the strongest covariate associated with cognitive performance (p < 0.001). No significant effect modification by disease subtype was identified (all interaction p > 0.05). Conclusions Greater diversity of social participation was associated with better long-term cognitive maintenance among older adults with hypertension and/or diabetes. The observed dose-response pattern suggests that engagement in approximately three to four different types of social activities may provide the greatest cognitive benefit. These findings highlight diverse social engagement as a potentially important and practical component of cognitive health promotion and chronic disease management in later life.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
y, z., j, w., y, l., x, z., & j, c. (2026). Social participation diversity and cognitive trajectories in older adults with hypertension and diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study. Research Square. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10457378/v1
Vancouver
y z, j w, y l, x z, j c. Social participation diversity and cognitive trajectories in older adults with hypertension and diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study. Research Square. 2026. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-10457378/v1.
BibTeX
@article{y2026-73b9df66,
author = {y, zhu¹ and j, wang¹ and y, li¹ and x, zhang¹ and j, chen},
title = {{Social participation diversity and cognitive trajectories in older adults with hypertension and diabetes: a longitudinal cohort study}},
journal = {Research Square},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.21203/rs.3.rs-10457378/v1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-10457378/v1}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Background Cognitive decline is a major concern among older adults with hypertension and diabetes, two common chronic conditions associated with an elevated risk of dementia and functional impairment.
- Results Greater diversity of social participation was independently associated with better cognitive function over time.
- Each additional type of social activity was associated with a 0.147-point increase in cognitive Z-score (β = 0.147, 95% CI: 0.045–0.249, p = 0.005).
- A significant nonlinear dose-response relationship was observed (p = 0.004), with the largest cognitive benefits occurring between one and four activity types, followed by a plateau at higher levels of participation.
- In contrast, vigorous physical activity was not significantly associated with cognitive function (β = 0.064, p = 0.693) and did not significantly modify cognitive trajectories over time (p = 0.673).
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants547
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 44 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 27 of the 62 points we could judge it on, which is 44 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (Research Square) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 547 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 27 / 62 | Scored on 12 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 27 of the 62 points we could judge it on is 44 out of 100. |
| Total | 44 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
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