Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later life
Objectives: Disuse theory predicts that cognitive function is vulnerable to transitions that remove factors that support cognitive skills. We sought to investigate whether non-employment over the working life was associated with cognitive function and decline in later life (≥60 years old), and possi...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Public Health in Practice |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001009 |
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| author | A.J. Sizer A. Sacker R.E. Lacey M. Richards |
| author_facet | A.J. Sizer A. Sacker R.E. Lacey M. Richards |
| author_sort | A.J. Sizer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Disuse theory predicts that cognitive function is vulnerable to transitions that remove factors that support cognitive skills. We sought to investigate whether non-employment over the working life was associated with cognitive function and decline in later life (≥60 years old), and possible gender differences in the association. Study design: Longitudinal study. Method: We used data from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD). Cognitive function was measured by verbal memory and processing speed. Linear regression was used to test associations between non-employment duration and cognitive function at age 60–64, and conditional change models were used to examine associations between non-employment and cognitive decline from age 60–64 to 69. Gender specific models were adjusted for childhood factors and educational attainment, adult occupational features, and adult health and lifestyle indicators. Missing data was accounted for using multiple imputation by chained equations. Results: In fully adjusted models >15 years non-employment was associated with lower cognitive function at age 60–64 in men (verbal memory: −0.72, 95%CI −1.18, −0.26; processing speed: −0.61, 95%CI -1.00, −0.28), but not women. Fully adjusted models also indicated that long-term and intermediate lengths of non-employment were associated with faster decline in verbal memory (−0.38, 95%CI -0.75, −0.02) and processing speed (−0.28, 95%CI -0.52, −0.03) in men. There was no association between non-employment and cognitive decline among women. Conclusion: Long-term non-employment in men, but not women, is associated with accelerated cognitive ageing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bc45a9c45c7c4c11aa048681f7875f06 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-5352 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Public Health in Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-bc45a9c45c7c4c11aa048681f7875f062025-01-05T04:28:42ZengElsevierPublic Health in Practice2666-53522025-06-019100563Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later lifeA.J. Sizer0A. Sacker1R.E. Lacey2M. Richards3Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK; Corresponding author. Department of Information Studies, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UKResearch Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UKMRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL, University College London, London, UKObjectives: Disuse theory predicts that cognitive function is vulnerable to transitions that remove factors that support cognitive skills. We sought to investigate whether non-employment over the working life was associated with cognitive function and decline in later life (≥60 years old), and possible gender differences in the association. Study design: Longitudinal study. Method: We used data from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD). Cognitive function was measured by verbal memory and processing speed. Linear regression was used to test associations between non-employment duration and cognitive function at age 60–64, and conditional change models were used to examine associations between non-employment and cognitive decline from age 60–64 to 69. Gender specific models were adjusted for childhood factors and educational attainment, adult occupational features, and adult health and lifestyle indicators. Missing data was accounted for using multiple imputation by chained equations. Results: In fully adjusted models >15 years non-employment was associated with lower cognitive function at age 60–64 in men (verbal memory: −0.72, 95%CI −1.18, −0.26; processing speed: −0.61, 95%CI -1.00, −0.28), but not women. Fully adjusted models also indicated that long-term and intermediate lengths of non-employment were associated with faster decline in verbal memory (−0.38, 95%CI -0.75, −0.02) and processing speed (−0.28, 95%CI -0.52, −0.03) in men. There was no association between non-employment and cognitive decline among women. Conclusion: Long-term non-employment in men, but not women, is associated with accelerated cognitive ageing.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001009AgeingCognitionBirth cohort studyLife course epidemiology |
| spellingShingle | A.J. Sizer A. Sacker R.E. Lacey M. Richards Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later life Public Health in Practice Ageing Cognition Birth cohort study Life course epidemiology |
| title | Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later life |
| title_full | Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later life |
| title_fullStr | Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later life |
| title_full_unstemmed | Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later life |
| title_short | Non-employment over the working life: Implications for cognitive function and decline in later life |
| title_sort | non employment over the working life implications for cognitive function and decline in later life |
| topic | Ageing Cognition Birth cohort study Life course epidemiology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535224001009 |
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