Relationship between left-behind status and cognitive function in older Chinese adults: a prospective 3-year cohort study

BackgroundDue to the inaccuracy of the traditional geographical distance-based definition of left-behind status, data on the negative effect of left-behind status on cognitive function among older adults are controversial.AimsThis study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of left-behind status with cognitive function in older Chinese adults. The left-behind status definition was based on the frequency of face-to-face parent–child meetings.MethodsData from a nationally representative sample of 8 682 older adults (60+ years) in 2015 (5 658 left behind and 3 024 non-left behind), of which 6 933 completed the follow-up in 2018, were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Left-behind older adults were broadly defined as those aged 60+ years who had living adult children and saw their children less than once per month. The cognitive function was assessed with a composite cognitive test with higher total scores indicating better cognitive function.ResultsLeft-behind older adults had significantly lower cognitive test scores than non-left-behind older adults in both 2015 (11.1 (6.0) vs 13.2 (5.9), t=15.863, p