Individual level cognitive social capital and subsequent health and well-being among older adults in Japan: An outcome-wide study.

Higher trust was associated with greater human flourishing and fewer depressive symptoms among older adults.

• Trust was linked to greater human flourishing (β = 0.11)
• Trust was linked to fewer depressive symptoms (β = -0.09)
• Bonferroni correction was applied with threshold p < 0.0011
• Associations were examined using multivariable regression models adjusted for pre-baseline covariates and prior exposure and outcome values

Cognitive social capital (trust, reciprocity, and attachment) was consistently associated with better outcomes across all seven health and well-being domains.

• Seven outcome domains included: happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, structural social capital, health behaviors, and cognitive social capital
• Dataset 1 covered 42 self-reported outcomes across three waves (2016, 2019, 2022) with n = 41,758
• Dataset 2 linked survey data with administrative records on mortality, dementia, and functional disability (n = 56,153)
• Associations were especially prominent within psychological domains

Associations between cognitive social capital and health outcomes were not uniform across population subgroups, with differences observed by gender and educational attainment.

• Subgroup differences were observed by gender and educational attainment
• The study used two datasets from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study
• Cognitive social capital was assessed in 2019 and outcomes measured in 2022
• The authors concluded that approaches to strengthening social connections may benefit from considering group-specific characteristics

The study used an outcome-wide study design analyzing cognitive social capital in relation to 42 self-reported outcomes and three administrative outcomes among Japanese older adults.

• Dataset 1 included three-wave longitudinal data from 2016, 2019, and 2022 (n = 41,758)
• Dataset 2 linked 2016-2019 survey data with administrative records on mortality, dementia, and functional disability from 2019 to 2022 (n = 56,153)
• Cognitive social capital components assessed were trust, reciprocity, and attachment
• Bonferroni correction was applied (p < 0.0011) to account for multiple comparisons

Cognitive social capital is broadly associated with multidimensional health and well-being in later life, particularly psychological health.

• Associations spanned all seven outcome domains examined
• Psychological domains showed especially strong associations
• The authors suggest community efforts to foster social capital may help promote psychological health and healthy aging
• The study population consisted of older adults in Japan analyzed through the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study