BACKGROUND: Cognitive lifestyle may be an important modifiable risk factor for dementia but has not yet been comprehensively studied in healthy elderly. OBJECTIVE: To examine gender- and lifespan-related differences in cognitive lifestyle in a population-based cohort. METHODS: 872 individuals from the second wave of the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (MAS) cohort were invited to complete the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ), a validated measure of cognitive lifestyle. Of 555 questionnaires returned (64%), 253 were excluded due to prior diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, leaving n = 302 cognitively-intact elders (mean age 80.1 years, ±SD 4.7, 40.1% men). RESULTS: Total LEQ was significantly higher in men (97.9 ± 20.0) than women (90.0 ± 24.5), resulting mainly from midlife LEQ differences. Men were more likely to have worked in managerial or professional jobs (73.8% versus 39.5% women), and twice as likely to have supervised large groups of workers. In late life, women were significantly more likely to be living alone (68.1% versus 25.4% men), but otherwise significantly more engaged in specific cognitive activities, including reading novels (72.3% versus 52.0% men) and incorporating volunteer work (31.9% versus 19.7% men) and socializing (59.0% versus 37.0% men) into their typical day. Over the adult lifespan, it was more common for men and women to transition between LEQ tertiles than remain the same. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive lifestyle changes over the adult lifespan and exhibits a range of gender-based differences. While older women are more likely to be living alone they generally lead a more active current cognitive lifestyle.
BACKGROUND: Cognitive lifestyle may be an important modifiable risk factor for dementia but has not yet been comprehensively studied in healthy elderly. OBJECTIVE: To examine gender- and lifespan-related differences in cognitive lifestyle in a population-based cohort. METHODS: 872 individuals from the second wave of the Sydney Memory and Ageing Study (MAS) cohort were invited to complete the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ), a validated measure of cognitive lifestyle. Of 555 questionnaires returned (64%), 253 were excluded due to prior diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, leaving n = 302 cognitively-intact elders (mean age 80.1 years, ±SD 4.7, 40.1% men). RESULTS: Total LEQ was significantly higher in men (97.9 ± 20.0) than women (90.0 ± 24.5), resulting mainly from midlife LEQ differences. Men were more likely to have worked in managerial or professional jobs (73.8% versus 39.5% women), and twice as likely to have supervised large groups of workers. In late life, women were significantly more likely to be living alone (68.1% versus 25.4% men), but otherwise significantly more engaged in specific cognitive activities, including reading novels (72.3% versus 52.0% men) and incorporating volunteer work (31.9% versus 19.7% men) and socializing (59.0% versus 37.0% men) into their typical day. Over the adult lifespan, it was more common for men and women to transition between LEQ tertiles than remain the same. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive lifestyle changes over the adult lifespan and exhibits a range of gender-based differences. While older women are more likely to be living alone they generally lead a more active current cognitive lifestyle.
Authors: Ann M Kolanowski; Nikki L Hill; Esra Kurum; Donna M Fick; Andrea M Yevchak; Paula Mulhall; Linda Clare; Michael Valenzuela Journal: Arch Psychiatr Nurs Date: 2014-02-05 Impact factor: 2.218
Authors: Nikki L Hill; Ann M Kolanowski; Donna Fick; Vernon M Chinchilli; Rita A Jablonski Journal: Res Gerontol Nurs Date: 2014-03-18 Impact factor: 1.571
Authors: C Suo; N Gates; M Fiatarone Singh; N Saigal; G C Wilson; J Meiklejohn; P Sachdev; H Brodaty; W Wen; N Singh; B T Baune; M Baker; N Foroughi; Y Wang; Michael J Valenzuela Journal: Brain Imaging Behav Date: 2017-04 Impact factor: 3.978