Determinants of social engagement in older men

The objective of this study was to investigate associations between social engagement and health and social variables. Cross-sectional analysis of questionnaire data from a national cohort study was carried one. Participants were 5,905 men aged 51-70 years, from 24 general practices from 24 British towns. A nine-item social engagement scale was used as the outcome measurement. Greater social engagement was associated with younger age, higher social class, house and car ownership, being married, having fewer medical diagnoses, no disability and better self-perceived health. Men who had suffered a stroke or heart attack had less engagement than men who had not. Confounding by age and socio-economic factors explained the relationship between social engagement and heart attack. Confounding did not explain the poorer social engagement experienced by men who had had a stroke, which appeared to be mediated by poorer self-perceived health. We have found age, social class, marital status, home and car ownership and physical health to be associated with social engagement. A diagnosis of stroke was associated with poorer social engagement, independently of social and economic factors.