Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Social Welfare

First Advisor's Name

Shanna Burke

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee chair

Second Advisor's Name

Richard Beaulaurier

Second Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Third Advisor's Name

Nicole Fava

Third Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Fourth Advisor's Name

Tan Li

Fourth Advisor's Committee Title

Committee member

Keywords

loneliness, social isolation, cognition, cognitive functioning, cognitive performance, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, metabolic syndrome

Date of Defense

3-31-2023

Abstract

This three-manuscript dissertation examined the influence of psychosocial and physiological stressors on cognitive functioning in older adults in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Manuscripts 1 and 2 evaluated the influence of loneliness and social isolation on four measures of cognitive functioning (Immediate Word Recall, Delayed Word Recall, Serial 7s, Backward Count) in the context of metabolic syndrome (MetS) using linear and logistic regression. Cross-sectional data came from the 2016 HRS core and Venous Blood Study data. Loneliness was inversely associated with Delayed Word Recall outcomes (manuscript 1; n=2,143), while social isolation (manuscript 2, n=1,341) was inversely associated with Immediate Word Recall scores after adjusting for demographic covariates and depression. Neither loneliness nor social isolation interacted with MetS to influence cognitive functioning. Outcomes support prior research indicating a link between cognitive function and loneliness and social isolation but do not suggest a moderating role for these psychosocial stressors on cognitive functioning in middle-aged and older adults living with MetS. vii Manuscript 3 examined whether sleep disturbance moderated relations between loneliness and cognition functioning and cognitive status over a 12-year period (n=1,093) using mixed effects regression modeling. Loneliness was inversely associated with Immediate Word Recall scores and cognitive status. After controlling for demographic covariates and depression, sleep disturbance inversely correlated with Delayed Word Recall outcomes and cognitive status and moderated relations between loneliness and Immediate Word Recall and Serial 7s outcomes. Findings suggest that sleep disturbance may exacerbate the negative physiological effects of loneliness on episodic memory and executive functioning in late middle-aged and older adults.

Identifier

FIDC011093

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