Formal social participation protects physical health through enhanced mental health: A longitudinal mediation analysis using three consecutive waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

Previous studies have shown that formal social participation may reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions. Yet, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the potential mediating roles of quality of life and depressive symptoms using longitudinal data. We analyzed nationally representative data from three consecutive waves (2011, 2013, 2015) of the SHARE survey, including 28,982 adults from 12 European...