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Table 3 Interaction effects of potential moderators and childhood friendship status on cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults

From: Association between childhood friendship and cognitive ageing trajectory in later life: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

Model

Total cognitive function, β (95% CI)

Mental intactness,

β (95% CI)

Episodic memory,

β (95% CI)

Model 1a

Time

-0.42 (-0.52, -0.32)***

-0.30 (-0.37, -0.24)***

-0.11 (-0.18, -0.05)***

Childhood friendship (Ref: poor)

 Fair

0.09 (-0.19, 0.36)

0.09 (-0.10, 0.27)

0.00 (-0.17, 0.16)

 Good

0.26 (-0.02, 0.53)†

0.14 (-0.04, 0.32)

0.10 (-0.06, 0.27)

Female (Ref: male)

-0.53 (-0.89, -0.16)**

-0.59 (-0.83, -0.35)***

0.06 (-0.16, 0.28)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time

0.17 (0.04, 0.29)**

0.05 (-0.03, 0.13)

0.12 (0.04, 0.20)**

Childhood friendship (good) × Time

0.19 (0.07, 0.30)**

0.04 (-0.04, 0.12)

0.15 (0.07, 0.22)***

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time × Female

-0.11 (-0.30, 0.08)

-0.02 (-0.15, 0.11)

-0.09 (-0.21, 0.03)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time × Female

-0.02 (-0.20, 0.17)

0.04 (-0.08, 0.16)

-0.06 (-0.17, 0.06)

Model 2a

Time

-0.54 (-0.78, -0.29)***

-0.33 (-0.50, -0.17)***

-0.21 (-0.36, -0.05)*

Childhood friendship (Ref: poor)

 Fair

0.92 (0.20, 1.63)*

0.70 (0.22, 1.18)**

0.22 (-0.21, 0.65)

 Good

0.74 (0.01, 1.48)*

0.46 (-0.04, 0.95)†

0.29 (-0.15, 0.73)

Educational level (Ref: illiterate)

 Some primary school

1.93 (1.27, 2.59)***

1.40 (0.96, 1.84)***

0.54 (0.14, 0.93)**

 Finished primary school

2.26 (1.62, 2.91)***

1.71 (1.28, 2.15)***

0.55 (0.17, 0.94)**

 Higher than primary school

3.07 (2.44, 3.71)***

2.29 (1.86, 2.72)***

0.78 (0.40, 1.16)***

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time

-0.12 (-0.44, 0.19)

-0.03 (-0.24, 0.18)

-0.09 (-0.30, 0.11)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time

0.09 (-0.23, 0.41)

0.09 (-0.13, 0.31)

0.00 (-0.21, 0.21)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time × Some primary school

0.29 (-0.08, 0.66)

0.10 (-0.16, 0.35)

0.20 (-0.04, 0.43)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time × Finished primary school

0.22 (-0.14, 0.57)

0.07 (-0.17, 0.31)

0.15 (-0.08, 0.37)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time × Higher than primary school

0.24 (-0.10, 0.59)

0.07 (-0.16, 0.31)

0.17 (-0.05, 0.40)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time × Some primary school

-0.04 (-0.42, 0.34)

-0.14 (-0.40, 0.12)

0.10 (-0.14, 0.35)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time × Finished primary school

0.00 (-0.36, 0.36)

-0.06 (-0.30, 0.19)

0.06 (-0.18, 0.29)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time × Higher than primary school

0.10 (-0.25, 0.45)

0.00 (-0.24, 0.24)

0.10 (-0.13, 0.33)

Model 3a

Time

-0.19 (-0.36, -0.03)*

-0.21 (-0.32, -0.09)***

0.01 (-0.10, 0.12)

Childhood friendship (Ref: poor)

 Fair

0.62 (0.18, 1.06)**

0.31 (0.01, 0.60)*

0.31 (0.05, 0.58)*

 Good

0.53 (0.11, 0.95)*

0.23 (-0.05, 0.51)

0.29 (0.04, 0.54)*

Adverse childhood experiences (Ref: 0)

 1

0.13 (-0.35, 0.62)

0.03 (-0.29, 0.36)

0.10 (-0.19, 0.39)

 2

0.30 (-0.21, 0.81)

0.04 (-0.30, 0.39)

0.26 (-0.05, 0.56)

  ≥ 3

-0.20 (-0.76, 0.35)

-0.39 (-0.76, -0.01)*

0.19 (-0.15, 0.52)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time

-0.03 (-0.22, 0.16)

-0.07 (-0.20, 0.06)

0.04 (-0.08, 0.17)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time

-0.03 (-0.21, 0.15)

-0.06 (-0.18, 0.06)

0.03 (-0.09, 0.15)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time × ACEs (1)

0.30 (0.04, 0.55)*

0.22 (0.05, 0.39)**

0.07 (-0.09, 0.24)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time × ACEs (2)

0.11 (-0.16, 0.38)

0.07 (-0.11, 0.25)

0.04 (-0.13, 0.22)

Childhood friendship (fair) × Time × ACEs (≥ 3)

0.13 (-0.17, 0.43)

0.12 (-0.08, 0.32)

0.01 (-0.18, 0.20)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time × ACEs (1)

0.33 (0.09, 0.57)**

0.24 (0.08, 0.40)**

0.10 (-0.06, 0.25)

Childhood friendship (good) × Time × ACEs (2)

0.34 (0.09, 0.60)**

0.16 (-0.02, 0.33)†

0.19 (0.02, 0.35)*

Childhood friendship (good) × Time × ACEs (≥ 3)

0.16 (-0.12, 0.45)

0.03 (-0.16, 0.22)

0.13 (-0.05, 0.32)

  1. ACEs, adverse childhood experiences
  2. †0.05 ≤ p < 0.1; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001
  3. aModel was adjusted for sociodemographic factors and childhood conditions