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.
- Klíčová slova
- Cognition, Employment and older workers, Quantitative methods, Work complexity,
- MeSH
- inteligence MeSH
- kognice MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce * patofyziologie psychologie MeSH
- kognitivní stárnutí fyziologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- popis práce * MeSH
- pracovní výkon MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- sociální interakce * MeSH
- sociodemografické faktory MeSH
- stárnutí psychologie MeSH
- stupeň vzdělání MeSH
- tělesná a funkční výkonnost * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: Several early-life factors have been associated with higher risk of developing dementia. It is unclear whether season of birth (SOB) can affect cognitive aging in older adults or not. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the association of SOB with the level of cognitive performance as well as with the rate of cognitive decline. METHODS: We studied 70,203 individuals who participated in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe. Cognition was measured with tests on verbal fluency and immediate and delayed recall. We assessed the association of SOB with the level of cognitive performance using multiple linear regression and with the rate of cognitive decline using linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: When compared to individuals born in winter and adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, being born in summer was associated with a higher level of delayed recall (B 0.05; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.09) and verbal fluency (B 0.15; 95%CI 0.00 to 0.29) and being born in fall with a higher level of immediate recall (B 0.04; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.08) and verbal fluency (B 0.15; 95%CI 0.01 to 0.29). Individuals born in summer had a higher yearly decline in delayed recall (B -0.005; 95%CI -0.009 to 0.000), while the scores in delayed recall in participants born in spring showed an inverse trend (B 0.005; 95%CI 0.000 to 0.010). CONCLUSION: Individuals born in winter seem to carry a life-long disadvantage in a lower level of cognitive performance; however, being born in winter does not seem to affect the rate of cognitive decline.
- Klíčová slova
- Aging, SHARE, cognition, epidemiology, season of birth,
- MeSH
- kognitivní dysfunkce psychologie MeSH
- kognitivní stárnutí fyziologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- longitudinální studie MeSH
- prospektivní studie MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- roční období * MeSH
- zdravotnické přehledy MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa MeSH
OBJECTIVES: We examined the influence of postretirement leisure activity on longitudinal associations between work complexity in main lifetime occupation and trajectories of cognitive change before and after retirement. METHODS: Information on complexity of work with data, people, and things, leisure activity participation in older adulthood, and four cognitive factors (verbal, spatial, memory, and speed) was available from 421 individuals in the longitudinal Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. Participants were followed for an average of 14.2 years (SD = 7.1 years) and up to 23 years across eight cognitive assessments. Most of the sample (88.6%) completed at least three cognitive assessments. RESULTS: Results of growth curve analyses indicated that higher complexity of work with people significantly attenuated cognitive aging in verbal skills, memory, and speed of processing controlling for age, sex, and education. When leisure activity was added, greater cognitive and physical leisure activity was associated with reduced cognitive aging in verbal skills, speed of processing, and memory (for cognitive activity only). DISCUSSION: Engagement in cognitive or physical leisure activities in older adulthood may compensate for cognitive disadvantage potentially imposed by working in occupations that offer fewer cognitive challenges. These results may provide a platform to encourage leisure activity participation in those retiring from less complex occupations.
- Klíčová slova
- Cognitive aging, Growth curve analysis, Leisure activity, Retirement, Work complexity,
- MeSH
- důchod * MeSH
- kognitivní stárnutí fyziologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- longitudinální studie MeSH
- práce * MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- stárnutí fyziologie MeSH
- volnočasové aktivity * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- senioři nad 80 let MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
- studie na dvojčatech MeSH
