Trust and cognitive function: a population-based cross-sectional survey among older adults relocated for poverty alleviation in Shanxi, China.

Objective: This study investigated the association between generalized/particularized trust and cognitive function, with a focus on sex differences, among Chinese older adults relocated for poverty alleviation.

Methods: In 2023, a total of 1882 relocated older adults (≥ 60) were surveyed by using a multi-stage stratified sampling method in Shanxi province, China, under a cross-sectional study design. Trust was assessed in generalized trust (i.e. generalized trust in society and in community) and particularized trust (i.e. particularized trust in family, friends, neighbours, and authoritative identity). Older adults' cognitive function was measured by the Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE). Hierarchical linear regression was performed to determine the association between trust and cognitive function.

Results: Particularized trust in friends and particularized trust in authoritative identity were positively associated with cognitive function in the full sample. After controlling all confounders (i.e. demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviors and health status, and relocation characteristics), older adults who trusted in friends (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.23;1.94, P < 0.05) and who trusted in community/village staff (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.26;1.69, P < 0.01) reported better cognitive function. Generalized trust in society was negatively associated with cognitive function, older men who trusted most people showed lower cognitive function (β=-0.14, 95%CI: -2.67;-0.82, P < 0.001), and the comparison of the regression coefficients between the male and female were significantly different using suest test (P < 0.01). Particularized trust in friends and authoritative identity was positively associated with the cognitive function of relocated older men. However, the association between trust and cognitive function was not found among relocated older women.

Conclusions: Trust is associated with the cognitive function of older adults relocated for poverty alleviation in China, future policy interventions must highlight relocated older adults who have low trust in friends and community/village staff, more attention needs to be paid to the tailored interventions of trust promotion to different sexes.