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Memory loss, one of the key characteristics of aging, has a very damaging effect on old people. But a new US study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) states that seniors who have an active social life may witness a slow rate of memory loss. The report of this study will be published in the July 2008 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Researcher Karen Ertel said it is being hoped that this study will better the understanding of how important a role social life plays in influencing our health and life.
Studies conducted earlier have indicated how an active social life lessens the risk of dementia and cognitive decline in seniors. The researchers this time wanted to test whether social life affected memory loss too among seniors. For this study, researcher Karen Ertel and her colleagues collected data from 1998 to 2004 from the Health and Retirement Study. In the years 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004, memory was tested by reading out a list of ten common nouns to survey respondents.
After a passage of five minutes, the same people were asked to recall as many of the read out words as possible and that too swiftly. How socially alive one was gauged on the basis of marital status, volunteer activities, and contact with parents, children and neighbors. It was found that from 1998 to 2004, those who were most social had the slowest rate of memory decline. Speaking abut this study, researcher Berkman stated that social participation and integration indeed has intense effects on health and well being of people.
