Objective Social isolation is a risk factor for depression in older age. However, little is known regarding whether its impact varies depending on country-specific cultural contexts regarding social relationships. The present study examined the association of social isolation with depression onset among older adults in England, which has taken advanced measures against social isolation, and Japan, a super-aged society with a rapidly increasing number of socially isolated people. Design Prospective longitudinal study. Setting We used data from two ongoing studies: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Participants Older adults aged ≥65 years without depression at baseline were followed up regarding depression onset for 2 years (2010/2011–2012/2013) for the ELSA and 2.5 years (2010/2011–2013) for the JAGES. Primary outcome measure Depression was assessed with eight items from the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for the ELSA and Geriatric Depression Scale for the JAGES. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate social isolation using multiple parameters (marital status; interaction with children, relatives and friends; and social participation). Results The data of 3331 respondents from the ELSA and 33 127 from the JAGES were analysed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that social isolation was significantly associated with depression onset in both countries. In the ELSA, poor interaction with children was marginally associated with depression onset, while in the JAGES, poor interaction with children and no social participation significantly affected depression onset. Conclusions Despite variations in cultural background, social isolation was associated with depression onset in both England and Japan. Addressing social isolation to safeguard older adults’ mental health must be globally prioritised.

Growing aging populations pose a threat to global health because of the social and psychological challenges they experience. To mitigate this, many countries promote hobby engagement to support and improve mental health. Yet, it remains unclear whether there is consistency in benefits across different national settings. We harmonized measures of hobby engagement and multiple aspects of mental wellbeing across 16 nations represented in five longitudinal studies ( N = 93,263). Prevalence of hobby engagement varied substantially across countries, from 51.0% of Spanish respondents to 96.0% of Danish respondents. Fixed effects models and multinational meta-analyses were applied to compare the longitudinal associations between hobbies and mental wellbeing. Independent of confounders, having a hobby was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (pooled coefficient = −0.10; 95% confidence intervals (CI) = −0.13, −0.07), and higher levels of self-reported health (pooled coefficient = 0.06; 95% CI = 0.03, 0.08), happiness (pooled coefficient = 0.09; 95% CI = 0.06, 0.13) and life satisfaction (pooled coefficient = 0.10; 95% CI = 0.08, 0.12). Further analyses suggested a temporal relationship. The strength of these associations, and prevalence of hobby engagement, were correlated with macrolevel factors such as life expectancy and national happiness levels but overall, little variance in findings was explained by country-level factors (<9%). Given the relative universality of findings, ensuring equality in hobby engagement within and between countries should be a priority for promoting healthy aging.

In Western countries, the most important part of the face in communication is the mouth, whereas it is the eyes in Asian countries; thus oral health could be more important in social interactions in Western countries. Our aim was to examine differences in the association between oral health status and social isolation among older people by comparing Japan and England. We used cross-sectional information obtained from adults aged 65+ in two ongoing prospective cohort studies: The Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES, N = 120,195) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA, N = 3,958). The dependent variable, social isolation score (SIS) was calculated from five factors (marital status, social support from children, social support from family, social support from friends, and social participation). The independent variables were self-reported number of remaining teeth (0, 1-9, 10-19, ≥20) and denture use (≥20 teeth, 10-19 teeth with denture, 10-19 teeth without denture, 0-9 teeth with denture, 0-9 teeth without denture), while the covariates in the model were: sex, age, educational attainment, self-rated health, number of comorbidities, household annual equivalized income, mental health status, daily living activities, and smoking status. We examined associations between oral health status and SIS by applying an ordered logit model by country. Compared to England, more Japanese participants were socially isolated (1.4% vs. 5.8%), but fewer were edentulous (13.1% vs. 7.7%). In both countries, poorer oral health further increased the odds of being socially isolated. Pooled analysis of the ordered logit model with an interaction term showed that the association of number of remaining teeth with SIS was stronger in edentulous participants and in England (odds ratio = 1.50, 95% Confidence interval:1.26-1.80). In both countries, oral health was associated with social isolation; this association could be stronger in England than in Japan.

Aim: Existing evidence links social isolation with poor health. To examine differences in the mortality risk by social isolation, and in socio‐economic correlates of social isolation, we analyzed large‐scale cohort studies in Japan and England.Methods: Participants were drawn from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). We analyzed the 10‐year mortality among 15 313 JAGES participants and 5124 ELSA respondents. Social isolation was measured by two scales, i.e., scoring the frequency of contact with close ties, and a composite measurement of social isolation risk. We calculated the population attributable fraction, and Cox regression models with multiple imputations were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality due to social isolation.Results: The proportion of those with contact frequency of less than once a month was 8.5% in JAGES and 1.3% in ELSA. Males, older people, those with poor self‐rated health, and unmarried people were significantly associated with social isolation in both countries. Both scales showed that social isolation among older adults had a remarkably higher risk for premature death (less frequent contact with others in JAGES: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.33, in ELSA: HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 0.85–1.89; and high isolation risk score in JAGES: HR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.12–1.50, in ELSA: HR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.52–2.73). The population attributable fraction showed less frequent contact with close ties was attributed to about 18 000 premature deaths annually in Japan, in contrast with about 1800 in England.Conclusions: Negative health impacts of social isolation were higher among older Japanese compared with those in England. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 209–214.

Objectives The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed restrictions on people’s social behavior. However, there is limited evidence regarding the relationship between changes in social participation and depressive symptom onset among older adults during the pandemic. We examined the association between changes in social participation and the onset of depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design This was a longitudinal study. Setting Communities in Minokamo City, a semi-urban area in Japan. Participants We recruited community-dwelling older adults aged ≥ 65 years using random sampling. Participants completed a questionnaire survey at baseline (March 2020) and follow-up (October 2020). Measurements Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Two-Question Screen. Based on their social participation status in March and October 2020, participants were classified into four groups: “continued participation,” “decreased participation,” “increased participation,” and “consistent non-participation.” Results A total of 597 older adults without depressive symptoms at baseline were analyzed (mean age = 79.8 years; 50.4% females). Depressive symptoms occurred in 20.1% of the participants during the observation period. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis showed that decreased social participation was significantly associated with the onset of the depressive symptoms, compared to continued participation, after adjusting for all covariates (incidence rate ratio = 1.59, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–2.50, p = 0.045). Conclusion Older adults with decreased social participation during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated a high risk of developing depressive symptoms. We recommend that resuming community activities and promoting the participation of older adults, with sufficient consideration for infection prevention, are needed to maintain mental health among older adults.