Research article summary (published 30 Mar 2007):

Social activity and healthy aging: a study of aging Danish twins.

Full Abstract

Although social and intellectual engagement have been consistently associated with late-life functioning, rather than true causation, these associations may reflect the experiential choices of high functioning individuals (i.e., selection effects). We investigated the association of social activity with late-life physical functioning, cognitive functioning, and depression symptomatology using data from 1112 pairs of like-sex twins who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins. Consistent with previous research, we found that social activity was significantly correlated with overall level of physical functioning, cognitive functioning, and depression symptomatology. We also found that social activity was significantly and moderately heritable (estimate of .36), raising the possibility that its association with late-life functioning might reflect selection processes. Further, social activity did not predict change in functioning and in monozygotic twin pairs discordant on level of social activity, the more socially active twin was not less susceptible to age decreases in physical and cognitive functioning and increases in depression symptomatology than the less socially active twin. These results are interpreted in the context of the additional finding that nonshared environmental factors, although apparently not social activity, are the predominant determinant of changes in late-life functioning.

Author information

Author/s: McGue, Matt (M); Christensen, Kaare (K);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. mcgue001(-atsign-)umn.edu

Grants: P01 AG08761 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Twin Study

Journal: Twin research and human genetics : the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies (Twin Res Hum Genet), published in Australia. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Apr; vol 10 (issue 2) : pp 255-65

Dates: Created 2007/06/13; Completed 2007/08/06; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 17564515, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Aged Aged, 80 and over Aging - genetics; psychology Cognition Denmark Depression - genetics; psychology Female Genetics, Behavioral

Genetics, Behavioral Health Status Humans Longitudinal Studies Male Physical Fitness Social Behavior Twins, Monozygotic - genetics; psychology

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