Published : 22 Oct 2026, 05:56 PM
Updated : 22 Oct 2026, 05:56 PM
Keeping up a varied social life -- particularly through volunteering and sports clubs -- can slow brain ageing and improve cognitive performance, according to a new study.
Researchers, including from Guangdong Medical University in China, drew on pooled long-term data from five major surveys conducted across the US, UK, Europe, China, and Mexico, covering around 60,000 people in 24 countries.
Tracking nearly 58,000 participants over an average of six years, they found that those who engaged in social activities scored significantly higher on cognitive assessments than those who did not, The Independent reports.
The protective effect grew with the number of activities -- engaging in at least three appeared to offer the greatest defence against memory loss and decline in executive function.
Volunteering and sports club participation were most consistently linked to lower cognitive decline risk across the study group. Attending training courses and caring for children were also associated with higher scores.
Involvement in political, community, or religious groups, however, showed no consistent cognitive benefit.
The positive relationship between social engagement and brain health was strongest among women, adults over 60, those with higher education, those living alone, those of normal weight, and those in rural areas, according to The Independent.
Researchers caution that as an observational study, it cannot establish cause and effect. They offer a “use it or lose it” hypothesis -- that sustained engagement in mentally stimulating activities may strengthen existing neural connections and help form new ones.
Dementia, which is preceded by cognitive impairment, is projected to affect some 153 million people globally by 2050.
