The influence of social participation and depressive symptoms on cognition among middle-aged and older adults

The global aging phenomenon has raised concerns about the cognitive abilities of older individuals. This study aimed to explore the relationship between social participation, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults. This study utilized data from the China Longitudinal Study of Health and Retirement (CHARLS) from wave 1 to wave 4. We used linear regression and generalized estimation equations to investigate the correlation between social participation, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function. Moreover, three models were constructed by adjusting covariates, and we used the sobel test and bootstrap method to analyze the mediating effects of depressive symptoms on social activities and cognitive function. The results of both linear regression and generalized estimation equation showed that social participation had a positive correlation with cognitive function (P