Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40044457›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of geriatric psychiatry2025

Changes in Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Support: A Gender-Disaggregated Analysis of Their Associations With Dementia and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults.

Htet Lin Htun, Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale, Haoxiong Sun, Joanne Ryan, Alice J Owen, Robyn L Woods, Raj C Shah, Trevor T-J Chong, Rosanne Freak-Poli

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Childcare engagement among older adults in Australia and subsequent physical, psychosocial, and behavioral health outcomes.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Htet Lin HtunSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-2307-0610
Achamyeleh Birhanu TeshaleSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7572-9993
Haoxiong SunSchool of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0009-0000-6570-0890
Joanne RyanSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7039-6325
Alice J OwenSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4807-6069
Robyn L WoodsSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1249-6149
Raj C ShahDepartment of Family and Preventive Medicine and the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9706-9730
Trevor T-J ChongTurner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7764-3811
Rosanne Freak-PoliSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4072-8699

Funding

ASPirin in Reducing Events in the ElderlyU01AG029824 · NIA · HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI MCNEIL, JOHN JAMES, MURRAY, ANNE M · 2009 to 2018
$64.6M
Main Administrative CoreU19AG062682 · NIA · HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI CHAN, ANDREW T, MCNEIL, JOHN JAMES · 2019 to 2023
$42.9M
ANZ TrusteesMason FoundationMonash Graduate ScholarshipMonash International Tuition ScholarshipMonash UniversityNational Health and Medical Research Council of Australia 1127060National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia 2016438National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia 334047NCI NIH HHS U01AG029824NCI NIH HHS U19AG062682NIA NIH HHS U01 AG029824NIA NIH HHS U19 AG062682Victorian Cancer AgencyWicking Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesLimited evidence exists on the gender-specific impact of changes in loneliness, social isolation, and social support on dementia risk. We examined these changes and their relationships with dementia and cognitive decline.

methodsData from over 12,000 community-dwelling Australians aged 70+ years without significant cognitive impairment at enrolment were analysed. Loneliness, social isolation, and social support were self-reported at baseline and ∼2 years later (social isolation and social support) or ∼3 years later (loneliness), classified as never, transient, incident, or persistent. Dementia diagnosis followed DSM-IV criteria, adjudicated by an expert panel. Gender-disaggregated Cox proportional hazards regressions were conducted, adjusting for age and other dementia risk factors.

resultsAt baseline, participants were aged 70-95 years (mean: 75.2 ± 4.3), with 54% being women. Overall, 81.1% of men and 71.7% of women reported never feeling lonely at baseline, while transient, incident, and persistent loneliness were experienced by 4.9%, 8.4%, and 5.5% of men and 8.5%, 11.6%, and 8.3% of women, respectively. Over a median 8-year follow-up, incident loneliness in men (HR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.08-2.13) and persistent loneliness in women (HR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.55-2.97) were associated with a greater dementia risk, compared to those who were never lonely. No increased risk was observed for transient loneliness. Despite the remarkably low prevalence of social isolation and poor social support in this initially healthy cohort, both were associated with cognitive decline (secondary outcome) but not with dementia risk.

conclusionPersistent loneliness in people aged 70+, especially in women, was associated with a higher risk of dementia and cognitive decline.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionDementiaLonelinessSocial IsolationSocial SupportAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaFemaleHumansMaleProportional Hazards ModelsRisk FactorsSex Factorscognitive declinecognitive dysfunctiondementialonelinesssocial determinants of healthsocial isolationsocial support

Identifiers

PMID40044457
PMCPMC11882408

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.