@article{DUAN2025, 
author = {Chengwei DUAN and Mingyi LUO and Chenrui FAN and Jialei XU and Tureke MUHETAER and Mengyuan XU and Weiping WAN and Haiqing LIAO and Zeni WU},
title = {Association between edentulism and the risk of social isolation in middle-aged and older adults},
year = {2025},
journal = {Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases},
volume = {33},
number = {12},
pages = {1070-1077},
keywords = {middle-aged and older adults, edentulism, social isolation, China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, cohort study, Cox regression, effect modification, follow-up},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.12016/j.issn.2096-1456.202550238},
doi = {10.12016/j.issn.2096-1456.202550238},
abstract = {ObjectiveTo investigate the association between edentulism and the risk of social isolation in middle-aged and elderly populations, provide empirical evidence for formulating social isolation prevention and intervention policies targeting edentulous middle-aged and elderly populations.MethodsData were derived from the baseline survey (2011) and three follow-ups (2013, 2015, 2018) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Participants were enrolled in the follow-up from the baseline. Those identified as socially isolated in any of the follow-up surveys conducted in 2013, 2015, or 2018 were considered to have reached the endpoint; otherwise, the follow-up was continued until the end of the 2018 survey; 9870 individuals were ultimately included. Subjects were grouped by edentulism status. Chi-square test and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed using Stata 17.0.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 6.54 years, 1800 cases of social isolation occurred, with an incidence rate of 18.23%（17.47%~18.99%）. Multivariate Cox regression showed that edentulism was associated with an increased risk of social isolation (HR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.03-1.42) after adjusting for confounders. Subgroup analysis revealed population heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the stability of the results.ConclusionEdentulism is associated with an increased risk of social isolation in middle-aged and elderly adults.}
}