Participation in Social Group Activities and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review

• Published in: The open public health journal Vol. 15; no. 1
• Main Authors: Taniguchi, Rika, Ukawa, Shigekazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 16.06.2022
• ISSN: 1874-9445; 1874-9445
• DOI: 10.2174/18749445-v15-e2204141

Introduction: This systematic review aimed to assess the association between social participation in group activities or associations and the risk of dementia based on longitudinal cohort studies. Methods: We searched the electronic database PubMed for relevant studies in English published up to April 13, 2021. The search strategy included a combination of terms related to (1) longitudinal cohort studies, (2) assessing the association between social participation in group activities or associations and the risk of dementia, and (3) the article must be published in English or Japanese. Results: Of the 1,881 identified studies, 7 were included in the current systematic review. Five of these seven studies indicated social participation in group activities or associations to be significantly associated with a decreased risk of dementia. Our search also revealed the following points: 1) four studies evaluated the association between the specific type of social participation and the risk of dementia; 2) two studies evaluated the association between the frequency of social participation and the risk of dementia, and 3) one study investigated the effects of changes in the state of social participation on the risk of dementia. Conclusion: To clarify the association between social participation in group activities or associations and the risk of dementia, future studies should: 1) evaluate the association between the specific type and frequency of social participation and the risk of dementia, and 2) investigate the effects of changes in the states of social participation on the risk of dementia.