title: How does social support affect functional impairment in late life? Findings of a multicenter prospective cohort study in Germany.
abstract: to investigate how social support affects functional impairment (FI) in late life in a longitudinal approach.
  
  
  
  in a multicenter prospective cohort study, subjects in old age (≥75 years at baseline) were interviewed every 1.5 years. Social support was quantified in the follow-up (FU) Waves 2 and 4 (FU Wave 2: n = 2,349; FU Wave 4: n = 1,484). FI was assessed by using the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale.
  
  
  
  fixed effects regressions showed that a decrease in social support is associated with FI in the total sample and in both sexes. The effect on FI was most pronounced with the dimension social integration, whereas changes in practical support only affected FI in the total sample and changes in emotional support only affected FI in men.
  
  
  
  our findings emphasise the importance of social support for functional status in late life. Thus, strengthening social support in old age might be effective in maintaining functional abilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hajek
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brettschneider
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mallon
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Leeden
authors.affiliation: Hannover Medical School, Institute of General Practice, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mamone
authors.affiliation: Hannover Medical School, Institute of General Practice, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Birgitt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim/Heidelberg University,Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weyerer
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim/Heidelberg University,Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werle
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentzek
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffi G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weeg
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heser
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,  University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine and Public Health, Institute of Social Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luck
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Helmut
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: König
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D065840:Protective Factors; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: IADL; functional impairment; longitudinal study; older people; social support