Loneliness Interacts With Cognition in Relation to Healthcare and Financial Decision Making Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Cognition is a known determinant of healthcare and financial decision making in old age. Social vulnerabilities also might play a role in such decisions; however, the evidence for this is less clear. Here, we examined the association of loneliness with decision making and tested the hypothesis that loneliness is associated with decision making via its interaction with global cognition.

Research design and methods

Participants were 1,121 nondemented older adults from the Rush Memory and Aging Project. Healthcare and financial decision making was assessed via a performance-based measure; loneliness was assessed via the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale; and cognition was assessed via a 19-test neuropsychological battery.

Results

In a regression

SUBMITTER: Stewart CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7681217 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature