TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive lifestyle in older persons
T2 - the population-based Sydney memory and ageing study
AU - Valenzuela, Michael J.
AU - Leon, Irene
AU - Suo, Chao
AU - Piamba, Diana Martinez
AU - Kochan, Nicole
AU - Brodaty, Henry
AU - Sachdev, Perminder
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Alzheimer's disease
KW - dementia
KW - epidemiology
KW - lifestyle
KW - prevention
KW - protection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84878835583&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3233/JAD-130143
DO - 10.3233/JAD-130143
M3 - Article
C2 - 23542868
AN - SCOPUS:84878835583
SN - 1387-2877
VL - 36
SP - 87
EP - 97
JO - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
JF - Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
IS - 1
ER -