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An international analysis of five long-term surveys found that older adults who took part in social activities had higher cognitive test scores over time than those who did not. Participation in three or more activities showed the strongest association, but the observational study cannot show that social activity caused the difference.
A study pooling long-term data from 57,793 participants across 24 countries found that older adults who took part in social activities had higher cognitive test scores over time than those who did not. The analysis, published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, found the strongest association among people reporting three or more activities, but it cannot establish that participation itself prevents or slows cognitive decline.
The researchers combined information from five nationally representative surveys in the United States, England, China, Mexico and Europe. Participants reported which social activities they engaged in, while tests of memory and executive function were used to assess cognitive performance at each survey wave. The participants’ average ages ranged from 57 to 73, and they were followed for an average of six years.
Across the pooled data, people who reported social activities had higher global cognitive scores than those reporting none. Scores generally rose with the number of activities. Taking part in at least three activities was associated with higher yearly scores in memory and executive function during follow-up compared with taking part in none.
Volunteering and membership in a sports club were associated with lower risk of cognitive decline in all five survey groups. Attending training courses and caring for children were associated with higher cognitive scores year on year. By contrast, participation in political, community, church and religious groups was not consistently associated with better cognitive performance.
The findings add evidence from a large, geographically varied sample to a research area where earlier studies have reported inconsistent results. They suggest that the range and number of activities may matter, rather than social participation being a single, uniform experience. For older adults, families and community organizations, the results point to volunteering, sports clubs and other opportunities for involvement as possible parts of broader efforts to support wellbeing and cognitive health.
The study does not show that joining a club or volunteering will prevent dementia. Its value is in identifying patterns across several populations and suggesting questions for future research and intervention studies. Dementia is preceded by cognitive impairment, and the researchers cite estimates that nearly 153 million people worldwide could be living with dementia by 2050. That projection underscores the public-health interest in potential ways to support cognitive health, but it does not mean the activities examined have been shown to reduce that future total.
The researchers proposed several possible explanations for the association. Social activities may provide mental stimulation, consistent with the “use it or lose it” hypothesis, and could support neural plasticity and connections between brain cells. Meaningful social participation might also promote psychological wellbeing and help moderate chronic stress. These are proposed mechanisms, not effects demonstrated by this study.
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How the Five Surveys Were Combined
The research team used repeated survey waves collected between 2008 and 2021. The data came from the US Health and Retirement Study, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, the Mexican Health and Ageing Study, and the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe. Together, these sources allowed researchers to compare social activity and cognitive test results across five different survey groups.
Earlier research had examined links between social activity, cognitive function and dementia, but the authors said results were inconsistent. They cited differences in sample size, geographic coverage, and how studies defined social activities and measured cognitive outcomes as possible reasons. Pooling large, long-running datasets addressed some of those gaps, although the surveys were not fully standardized.
The article reports an observational analysis, not a trial in which researchers assigned participants to activities. The study’s journal citation is Wang and colleagues, “Association between social activity and cognitive enhancement among older adults: Results from five longitudinal cohort studies,” published online in 2026 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
““Collectively, these findings suggest that social activities may operate as a multidimensional protective factor against cognitive deterioration in older adults.””
— The study authors
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Limits of the Observational Evidence
Because this was an observational study, it cannot show that social activities caused higher cognitive scores or slower decline. Other characteristics may help explain the association. The researchers said their analysis only partially adjusted for potentially influential factors, and the five surveys differed in their methods and measures.
The study focused on the number of activities participants reported, rather than their quality, personal meaning, motivation or experience. It is also unclear which features of participation, if any, are most important. The reported associations varied across groups: they were stronger among women, people aged 60 and older, those with more education, people who were not depressed, people living alone, people of normal weight, rural residents, and participants who smoked and/or drank alcohol. These subgroup findings do not establish that social activity has a different causal effect for those groups.
The researchers did not demonstrate a biological pathway linking activities to cognitive outcomes. Their explanations involving mental stimulation, neural plasticity, wellbeing and stress remain plausible interpretations. The study also does not establish that any particular activity can prevent dementia or guarantee an individual will retain cognitive function.
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Testing Programs in Future Studies
The authors argue that future work should examine targeted programs that encourage varied and sustained social engagement among older adults. Such research could test whether structured opportunities change cognitive outcomes, rather than relying only on observed differences between people who choose different levels of activity.
Further studies could also measure how often people participate, how meaningful or enjoyable activities are to them, and whether the type of activity matters. More consistent measures across countries would help researchers compare results and determine whether the associations hold over longer periods. No specific follow-up study, intervention or timeline was identified in the report.
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Key Questions
No. It found an association between social participation and higher cognitive scores over time, but its observational design cannot establish cause and effect.
How many people and countries were included?
The pooled analysis included 57,793 participants from five national surveys covering 24 countries. Participants’ average ages ranged from 57 to 73, and follow-up averaged six years.
Which activities were associated with better outcomes?
Volunteering and sports club membership were associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline across all five survey groups. Training courses and caring for children were associated with higher yearly cognitive scores. These findings do not prove those activities caused the outcomes.
No. The study examined cognitive test performance and its relationship with reported social activity. It did not establish that taking part in activities prevents dementia.
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