Charlotta Nilsen1,2,3, Monica E Nelson4, Ross Andel4,5,6, Michael Crowe7, Deborah Finkel3,8, Nancy L Pedersen9,10. 1. Aging Research Center (ARC), Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm University, Sweden. 2. Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden. 3. Institute for Gerontology, Jönköping University, Sweden. 4. School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, USA. 5. International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Czech Republic. 6. Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Czech Republic. 7. Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. 8. Department of Psychology, Indiana University Southeast, USA. 9. Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. 10. Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We examined associations between job strain and trajectories of change in cognitive functioning (general cognitive ability plus verbal, spatial, memory, and speed domains) before and after retirement. METHOD: Data on indicators of job strain, retirement age, and cognitive factors were available from 307 members of the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA). Participants were followed for up to 27 years (mean=15.4, SD=8.5). RESULTS: In growth curve analyses controlling for age, sex, education, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular health, and twinness, greater job strain was associated with worse memory (Estimate=-1.22, p=.007), speed (Estimate=-1.11, p=.012), spatial ability (Estimate=-0.96, p=.043), and general cognitive ability (Estimate=-1.33, p=.002) at retirement. Greater job strain was also associated with less improvement in general cognitive ability before retirement and a somewhat slower decline after retirement. The sex-stratified analyses showed that the smaller gains of general cognitive ability before retirement (Estimate=-1.09, p=.005) were only observed in women. Domain-specific analyses revealed that greater job strain was associated with less improvement in spatial (Estimate=-1.35, p=.010) and verbal (Estimate=-0.64, p=.047) ability before retirement in women, and a slower decline in memory after retirement in women (Estimate=0.85, p=.008) and men (Estimate=1.12, p=.013). Neither pre-retirement nor post-retirement speed was affected by job strain. DISCUSSION: Greater job strain may have a negative influence on overall cognitive functioning prior to and at retirement, while interrupting exposure to job strain (post-retirement) may slow the rate of cognitive aging. Reducing level of stress at work should be seen as a potential target for intervention to improve cognitive aging outcomes.
OBJECTIVES: We examined associations between job strain and trajectories of change in cognitive functioning (general cognitive ability plus verbal, spatial, memory, and speed domains) before and after retirement. METHOD: Data on indicators of job strain, retirement age, and cognitive factors were available from 307 members of the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA). Participants were followed for up to 27 years (mean=15.4, SD=8.5). RESULTS: In growth curve analyses controlling for age, sex, education, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular health, and twinness, greater job strain was associated with worse memory (Estimate=-1.22, p=.007), speed (Estimate=-1.11, p=.012), spatial ability (Estimate=-0.96, p=.043), and general cognitive ability (Estimate=-1.33, p=.002) at retirement. Greater job strain was also associated with less improvement in general cognitive ability before retirement and a somewhat slower decline after retirement. The sex-stratified analyses showed that the smaller gains of general cognitive ability before retirement (Estimate=-1.09, p=.005) were only observed in women. Domain-specific analyses revealed that greater job strain was associated with less improvement in spatial (Estimate=-1.35, p=.010) and verbal (Estimate=-0.64, p=.047) ability before retirement in women, and a slower decline in memory after retirement in women (Estimate=0.85, p=.008) and men (Estimate=1.12, p=.013). Neither pre-retirement nor post-retirement speed was affected by job strain. DISCUSSION: Greater job strain may have a negative influence on overall cognitive functioning prior to and at retirement, while interrupting exposure to job strain (post-retirement) may slow the rate of cognitive aging. Reducing level of stress at work should be seen as a potential target for intervention to improve cognitive aging outcomes.
Authors: Charlotta Nilsen; Alexander Darin-Mattsson; Martin Hyde; Jonas W Wastesson Journal: Scand J Public Health Date: 2021-05-25 Impact factor: 3.199
Authors: Andrea E Zülke; Melanie Luppa; Susanne Röhr; Marina Weißenborn; Alexander Bauer; Franziska-Antonia Zora Samos; Flora Kühne; Isabel Zöllinger; Juliane Döhring; Christian Brettschneider; Anke Oey; David Czock; Thomas Frese; Jochen Gensichen; Walter E Haefeli; Wolfgang Hoffmann; Hanna Kaduszkiewicz; Hans-Helmut König; Jochen René Thyrian; Birgitt Wiese; Steffi G Riedel-Heller Journal: BMC Geriatr Date: 2021-12-10 Impact factor: 3.921