Work Hours and Cognitive Function: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Occupational Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Cognitive impairment represents a significant public health concern.
• Understanding factors influencing cognitive function is crucial for preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between weekly work hours and cognitive function.
• To explore potential modifications of this association by occupation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with 2,497 participants.
• Assessed cognitive function using global cognitive functioning, processing speed, and attention/working memory measures.
• Employed a prospective approach with linear regression to analyze associations between work hours and cognitive outcomes.

Main Results:

• No significant overall association between work hours and cognitive function was found across all participants.
• Occupation-stratified analyses revealed that longer work hours were linked to poorer global cognitive function in Sales/Office and blue-collar workers.
• An inverse association between work hours and processing speed was observed specifically in blue-collar workers.

Conclusions:

• Weak inverse associations were identified between extended work hours and cognitive function in specific occupational groups.
• These findings suggest that certain occupations may be more vulnerable to the cognitive effects of long working hours.