Social support availability and executive function in the baseline cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)

Social support availability (SSA) measures whether a person believes their social resources meet their needs. While SSA has been associated with many positive health outcomes, previous research on SSA and cognitive function has been limited by broad and inconsistent definitions of both terms. Using baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)’s comprehensive cohort, we have investigated the association between SSA and one domain of cognition, executive function, while accounting for a variety of sociodemographic (e.g., age, education, income, province), health (e.g., chronic conditions, self-rated health), and social variables (e.g., marital status, pet companionship). Results of this research on the association between SSA and executive function will be summarized in the webinar.

Emily Rutter is a research associate and future PhD student in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. Her research interests include social support, loneliness and social isolation, and the impact of these constructs on cognitive function in aging populations.

This webinar is free and open to all. Register at: https://bit.ly/clsawebinars