Emily A Greenfield1, Ayse Akincigil1, Sara M Moorman2. 1. School of Social Work and Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick. 2. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Drawing on insights from theorizing on cumulative dis/advantage (CDA), we aimed to advance understanding of educational attainment as a protective factor for later-life cognition by examining whether associations between obtaining a bachelor's degree and later-life cognition differ according to individuals' likelihood of completing college based on characteristics in adolescence. METHODS: We conducted a propensity score analysis with data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). Measures to predict college completion were assessed prospectively in adolescence, and a global measure of later-life cognition was based on cognitive assessments at age 65. RESULTS: College completion by age 25 (vs high school only) was associated with better later-life cognition for both men and women. Among men specifically, associations were stronger for those who were less likely as adolescents to complete college. DISCUSSION: Results indicate the utility of a CDA perspective for investigating the implications of interconnected early life risk and protective factors for later-life cognition, as well as ways in which college education can both contribute to, as well as mitigate, processes of CDA.
OBJECTIVES: Drawing on insights from theorizing on cumulative dis/advantage (CDA), we aimed to advance understanding of educational attainment as a protective factor for later-life cognition by examining whether associations between obtaining a bachelor's degree and later-life cognition differ according to individuals' likelihood of completing college based on characteristics in adolescence. METHODS: We conducted a propensity score analysis with data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). Measures to predict college completion were assessed prospectively in adolescence, and a global measure of later-life cognition was based on cognitive assessments at age 65. RESULTS: College completion by age 25 (vs high school only) was associated with better later-life cognition for both men and women. Among men specifically, associations were stronger for those who were less likely as adolescents to complete college. DISCUSSION: Results indicate the utility of a CDA perspective for investigating the implications of interconnected early life risk and protective factors for later-life cognition, as well as ways in which college education can both contribute to, as well as mitigate, processes of CDA.
Authors: Megan Elizabeth Lenehan; Mathew James Summers; Nichole Louise Saunders; Jeffery Joseph Summers; James C Vickers Journal: Psychogeriatrics Date: 2014-12-17 Impact factor: 2.440