Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41408180›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2025

Informal care and cognitive frailty among Chinese older adults: the mediating role of social participation.

Tianyu Gao, Dan Zhao, Shujun Chai, Xiaohan Qi, Yang Liu, Yihong Sun, Yuxun Zhang, Zihan Lin, Jie Zhou, Chengchao Zhou

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

10 authors.

Tianyu GaoDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Dan ZhaoDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Shujun ChaiDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Xiaohan QiSchool of Management, Shandong Second Medical University, NO.7166, Baotong West Street, Weifang, Shandong, China.
Yang LiuDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Yihong SunDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Yuxun ZhangDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Zihan LinSchool of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wen-hua-xi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China.
Jie ZhouDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
Chengchao ZhouDepartment of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China. zhouchengchao@sdu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 72274109, 71774104, 71974117
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesWith the intensification of ageing, cognitive frailty has become a major public health issue. The underlying mechanisms of the association between informal care and cognitive frailty were poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of social participation in the relationship between informal care and cognitive frailty among Chinese older adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND

methodsThis research included 2,066 participants aged 60 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). We conducted the logistic regression model and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) analyses to test the mediating role of social participation in the relationship between informal care and cognitive frailty.

resultsAfter adjusting the confounders, three dimensions of informal care were negatively associated with cognitive frailty (financial support: β = -0.124, P = 0.043; emotional support: β = -0.149, P = 0.042; life care:β = -0.282, P = 0.015). Diversity and frequency of social participation were all mediated the association between financial support and cognitive frailty (diversity: P = 0.019, frequency: P = 0.013), as well as life care and cognitive frailty (diversity: P = 0.022, frequency: P = 0.018). However, the mediating effect of social participation on the association between emotional support and cognitive frailty was insignificant (diversity: P = 0.619, frequency: P = 0.957). DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Informal care was associated with cognitive frailty among Chinese older adults. Diversity and frequency of social participation were all mediated the association between financial support and cognitive frailty, as well as life care and cognitive frailty. More attention should be devoted to promoting social participation among Chinese older adults with cognitive frailty, especially those who receive life care and financial support.

Indexed as

CognitionFrail ElderlyFrailtyPatient CareSocial ParticipationAgedAged, 80 and overChinaEast Asian PeopleFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedCognitive frailtyMediation analysisOld adultsSocial participation

Identifiers

PMID41408180
PMCPMC12822289

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.