Influence of social activities on delayed memory in older adults: A cross-cultural study

This study investigated the impact of social activities on delayed memory among older adults, framed within Social Support Theory and Social Gerontology. By comparing Chinese and American populations, we aim to fill a gap in the cross-cultural research on this topic. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, we employed quantitative analysis with Stata 18.0. We discovered that social activities like internet use, card games, and volunteer work significantly enhance delayed memory across both cultures. However, cultural differences influence the types of social activities that are more prevalent in each context and affect the degree of their impact on cognitive health. In China, card games had a stronger effect on delayed memory, while in the United States, volunteer work and internet use exerted a more pronounced impact. These findings highlight the importance of culturally tailored interventions and the combined role of family and community support systems in promoting cognitive health among older adults.