Andreas Ihle1,2,3, Michel Oris2,3, Julia Sauter2,3, Dario Spini3,4, Ulrike Rimmele3,5, Jürgen Maurer3,6, Matthias Kliegel1,2,3. 1. Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 2. Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 3. Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES - Overcoming vulnerability: Life course perspectives, Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland. 4. Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. 5. Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 6. Department of Economics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract
Objectives: The present study sets out to investigate the relation of cognitive abilities to well-being and its interplay with key life course proxies of cognitive reserve and social capital in a large sample of older adults.Method: Three thousand eighty older adults served as sample for the present study. Physical well-being (EuroQoL-5D questionnaire) and psychological well-being (Satisfaction with Life Scale) as well as cognitive performance in terms of verbal abilities (Mill Hill vocabulary scale), processing speed (Trail Making Test part A), and cognitive flexibility (Trail Making Test part B) were assessed. Participants reported information on education, occupation, cognitively stimulating leisure activities, the different languages regularly spoken as well as family and close friends. Results: Moderation analyses showed that the relation of cognitive performance to physical and psychological well-being was significantly attenuated in individuals with a higher cognitive level of the first job after education, a larger number of midlife and current cognitively stimulating leisure activities, a larger number of languages regularly spoken, a larger number of significant family members and friends, and more frequent contact with and more confidence in significant family members. Conclusion: Present data suggest that the relation of low cognitive abilities to low well-being in old age is attenuated in individuals with greater cognitive reserve and greater social capital accumulated over the life course.
Objectives: The present study sets out to investigate the relation of cognitive abilities to well-being and its interplay with key life course proxies of cognitive reserve and social capital in a large sample of older adults.Method: Three thousand eighty older adults served as sample for the present study. Physical well-being (EuroQoL-5D questionnaire) and psychological well-being (Satisfaction with Life Scale) as well as cognitive performance in terms of verbal abilities (Mill Hill vocabulary scale), processing speed (Trail Making Test part A), and cognitive flexibility (Trail Making Test part B) were assessed. Participants reported information on education, occupation, cognitively stimulating leisure activities, the different languages regularly spoken as well as family and close friends. Results: Moderation analyses showed that the relation of cognitive performance to physical and psychological well-being was significantly attenuated in individuals with a higher cognitive level of the first job after education, a larger number of midlife and current cognitively stimulating leisure activities, a larger number of languages regularly spoken, a larger number of significant family members and friends, and more frequent contact with and more confidence in significant family members. Conclusion: Present data suggest that the relation of low cognitive abilities to low well-being in old age is attenuated in individuals with greater cognitive reserve and greater social capital accumulated over the life course.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cognition; cognitive reserve; life course; social capital; well-being
Authors: Dilip V Jeste; Danielle Glorioso; Ellen E Lee; Rebecca Daly; Sarah Graham; Jinyuan Liu; Alejandra Morlett Paredes; Camille Nebeker; Xin M Tu; Elizabeth W Twamley; Ryan Van Patten; Yasunori Yamada; Colin Depp; Ho-Cheol Kim Journal: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2019-04-11 Impact factor: 4.105