Patients' experiences and attitudes toward the use of real-time artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy.

With aging, individuals generally experience a decline in cognitive function. This decline not only affects the quality of life in older adults but may also serve as an early sign of dementia and other neurocognitive disorders (Chen et al. ; Haghighi et al. ). The decline in cognitive abilities has widespread and diverse negative impacts on both psychological and physical health, and it places a significant burden on families and healthcare systems (Zhi et al. ). Therefore, preventing or delaying cognitive decline is of paramount importance. In recent years, the influence of social and psychological factors on cognitive health has gained increasing attention, with maintaining strong social relationships being considered a potential cognitive protective factor (Livingston et al. ; Wang et al. ). In adulthood, marital relationships are particularly important for the benefits individuals derive from their social connections. Studies have shown that married individuals typically have higher levels of social support, more stable life structures, and more regular lifestyles, all of which may collectively contribute to the preservation of cognitive function (Jennings et al. ). Some studies have shown that married individuals exhibit better cognitive performance compared to unmarried, divorced, or widowed individuals (Jadenur et al. ; Zhang et al. ). However, findings on the influence of marital status on cognitive function across different genders are not entirely consistent (Sundström et al. ). Research has indicated that in Korea, women are more likely than men to experience cognitive impairment following widowhood (Park et al. ). Other studies have found that among single individuals, men have a higher risk of developing dementia than women (Feng et al. ; Liu et al. ). Studies on gender differences have shown that in developing countries, women are more prone to cognitive issues than men, whereas the opposite is true in developed countries (Gazbare and Palekar ). Furthermore, other research suggests that the impact of marital status on cognitive outcomes does not differ by gender (Liu et al. ). Men and women differ systematically in terms of social roles, health behaviors, and social support networks, and these differences may lead to divergent patterns of how marriage affects cognitive function across genders (Jadenur et al. ). Although gender differences in cognitive health have gradually gained attention, gender‐specific evidence on the protective effects of marriage on cognitive function remains relatively limited, especially in large‐scale longitudinal studies of elderly populations in China. A deeper exploration of gender differences in the relationship between marital status and cognitive function is crucial for understanding the mechanisms of social relationships and cognitive aging, as well as for formulating targeted cognitive health promotion strategies and social support policies.