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Published on: December 29, 2014
Differential effects of enriched environment at work on cognitive decline in old age
Francisca S Then1, Tobias Luck2, Melanie Luppa2
1From the Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health (F.S.T., T.L., M.L., S.G.R.-H.), and LIFE-Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases (F.S.T., T.L.), University of Leipzig; Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research (H.-H.K.), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany; Center for Public Mental Health (M.C.A.), Gösing am Wagram, Austria; and Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine (M.C.A.), University of Cagliari, Italy. francisca.then@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
Objectives:
The aim of the present study was to investigate how different mentally demanding work conditions during the professional life-i.e., enriched environments at work-might influence the rate of cognitive decline in old age.
Methods:
Individuals (n = 1,054) of the Leipzig Longitudinal Study of the Aged, a representative population-based cohort study of individuals aged 75 years and older, underwent cognitive testing via the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in up to 6 measurement waves. Type and level of mentally demanding work conditions in the participants' former professional life were classified based on the O*NET job descriptor database.
Results:
In multivariate mixed-model analyses (controlling for sociodemographic and health-related factors), a high level of mentally demanding work tasks stimulating verbal intelligence was significantly associated with a better cognitive functioning at baseline (on average 5 MMSE points higher) as well as a lower rate of cognitive decline (on average 2 MMSE points less) over the 8-year follow-up period compared with a low level. The rate of cognitive decline in old age was also significantly lower (on average 3 MMSE points less) in individuals who had a high level of mentally demanding work tasks stimulating executive functions than those who had a low level.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that a professional life enriched with work tasks stimulating verbal intelligence and executive functions may help to sustain a good cognitive functioning in old age (75+ years). The findings thus emphasize that today's challenging work conditions may also promote positive health effects.
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