Aim: to elucidate the direct and indirect pathways between social determinants and cognitive decline among older Irish adults, to further understand and identify potential points of intervention in the progression of cognitive decline. 

Primary objectives:

1.     To explore the relationship between social factors (loneliness, social connectedness, social support, social engagement) and cognitive outcomes, as well as changes to cognition over time, in waves 1, 2, and 3 of the TILDA dataset, and to identify potential mediators of this relationship, such as sleep, physical activity, smoking, lipid profile, blood pressure, body mass index, alcohol intake, and obesity. 

2.     To explore these relationships, pathways, and mediating factors in the NICOLA dataset following Wave 1 data collection (to be available in 2015). 

To compare and contrast social factors, as well as the associations between social support and cognition, across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which constitute a ‘natural experiment’ of two healthcare systems in one island. This presents an ideal opportunity to compare the impact of these differing systems as well as broader factors on social isolation and cognition. Loneliness, social support, networks, social capital, and engagement may differ as a function of culture and wider community factors, such as the extent of ‘familism’ (prioritising the family), and the impact of emigration in the Republic of Ireland on social isolation among the older generation. This exciting opportunity for comparison is made possible with the researcher’s privileged access to both datasets.