When More Is Not Better: Threshold Effects of Social Participation on Well-Being Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Rural Taiwan

Kai-Lin Liang, Yi-Chun Hung, Aging Health and Long-Term Care Management for Indigenous Undergraduate Program, National Chi Nan University, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes

Journal of Applied Gerontology

Published online on May 26, 2026

Abstract

Journal of Applied Gerontology, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundSocial participation benefits are often assumed to increase linearly. This study examined potential nonlinear effects and age differences among rural older adults in Taiwan.MethodsData from 1,100 community-dwelling older adults (WHO-5 well-being)...