학술논문

Exploring the Relationship Between Engagement in Enriching Early-Life Activities During Adolescence and Cognition in Later-Life: Results From the Health and Reti rement Study.
Document Type
Article
Source
Research on Aging. Feb2023, Vol. 45 Issue 2, p198-209. 12p.
Subject
*LIFESTYLES
*CONFIDENCE intervals
*REGRESSION analysis
*RETROSPECTIVE studies
*NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL tests
*DESCRIPTIVE statistics
*RESEARCH funding
*COGNITIVE testing
*LONGITUDINAL method
*MIDDLE age
Language
ISSN
0164-0275
Abstract
The cognitive benefits associated with mid- to late-life engagement have been demonstrated in several studies. However, the link between engagement in enriching early-life activities (EELAs) during adolescence and later-life cognition has been relatively unexplored in major epidemiological studies. We examined the EELA-cognition relationship in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 50+. A subset of Health and Retirement Study respondents (n=3482) completed cognitive tests and returned a retrospective early-life activity inventory. Linear regression models analyzed the EELA-cognition relationship, and multiple imputation addressed missingness. Each additional EELA was associated with a 0.36 point higher cognitive score (95% Cl: 0.24,0.47). This relationship remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders (B=O. 16; 95% Cl: [0.06,0.26]) EELA engagement was associated with better later-life cognitive performance. This study is understood to be the first to examine the EELA-cognition relationship using a large, nationally representative dataset. The findings highlight the importance of early-life engagement during an important developmental period (e.g., adolescence). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]