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Spending time with friends and family can help reduce the risk of an older person becoming frail HolidayReading newspapers and eating out, new research suggests.
Being more sociable may also be “beneficial” for frailty in the elderly Study found.
According to Age UK, frailty refers to a person’s mental and physical resilience, or their ability to recover from and recover from illness and injury.
researcher from Newcastle University to investigate whether social contact and loneliness influence frailty.
They examined data from over 2,000 men Those above 65 years of age were assessed at an interval of eight years.
These assessments included information about their Health And their social life.
Specifically, men were asked how much time they spent with friends and family; did voluntary work; played cards, games or bingo; participated in religious or social clubs; went on holidays and overnight trips; read books or newspapers; wrote letters; Ate out at restaurants or visited the cinema, museum or attended sporting events.
People surveyed included 715 men taking part in the long-term British Regional Heart Study.
Writing in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the researchers said that social ties “may influence the dynamic trajectory of frailty”.
They found that people who had a higher level of social activity when first assessed had a 31% lower risk of frailty.
According to the study, partly funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), people who increased their social activity over an eight-year period had a 23% reduced risk of developing frailty.
Meanwhile, both high levels of social interaction and increased social activity over time have been shown to be beneficial in reducing frailty, the researchers wrote.
Among the UK people included in the study, higher levels of loneliness at the beginning of the study and an increase in loneliness during the observation period increased the risk of developing frailty.
Senior author of the research, Sheena Ramsay, professor of public health and epidemiology at Newcastle University, said: “Our study shows that frailty is not inevitable.
“Some people recover from the initial phase of weakness – being more socially active may be one of the factors that can make this happen.”
Dr Ziyi Cai, first author of the study from Newcastle University, said: “People who are socially connected, with friends and loved ones, can help provide them with a healthy life and access to health care, which can offset frailty.
“On the other hand, people who are more isolated and lonely may be less active, less likely to get the care they need for their health, and sleep and eat less – all of which can increase their risk of being frail.
“Age-friendly communities and networks that promote supportive social relationships and activities can contribute to reducing the burden of frailty.”
Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director and consultant cardiologist at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study adds to the growing evidence that social activities are good for our health, while loneliness and isolation can be harmful.
“Exercise, such as resistance or strength training and maintaining good nutrition, are key factors that can reduce weakness.
“There is a growing focus on ‘social norms’ in the NHS, which helps people do new things in their local area. For those who can do this, trying new group activities such as volunteering can help them live a good life longer.”
According to the British Geriatrics Society, one in 10 people over the age of 65 have frailty, rising to almost a quarter in those aged 85 and over.