OBJECTIVES: The present study examines the associations between mental, social, and physical demands of work and cognitive functioning among older adults in the United States. METHOD: Data from 3,176 respondents in the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed using growth curve modeling (2004-2014). The study investigated differences by gender, race, ethnicity, and education. RESULTS: Higher mental and social demands of work were associated with higher levels of initial cognitive functioning, but were not significantly associated with slower cognitive decline over time. Physical demands of work were negatively associated with initial cognitive functioning and were also marginally associated with a slower rate of decline in cognitive functioning going into older adulthood. In stratified analyses, results varied by sociodemographic characteristics. DISCUSSION: The results partially support the environmental complexity hypothesis and the productive aging framework in that higher mental and social demands and lower physical demands relate to better cognitive functioning at baseline, with the differences appearing stable throughout older adulthood. The stratified results shed light on addressing disparities in cognitive aging and work environments.

Department of Neurology Motol University Hospital and Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Social Work Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu USA

International Clinical Research Center St Anne's University Hospital Brno Czech Republic

School of Aging Studies University of South Florida Tampa USA

Silver School of Social Work New York University USA

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