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Updated: Nov 9, 2025

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
Gender role stereotypes, patriarchal attitudes, and cognitive function in the elderly rural Korean population: a
Hye Rin Choi1, Byeonggwan Ha2, Ye Jin Jeon3
1Healthcare Data Promotion Division, Bureau of Health Industry, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sejong, Korea.
Objectives:
We analyzed whether gender role stereotypes (GRS) and patriarchal attitudes are associated with cognitive function in an elderly community.
Methods:
We analyzed data from 580 people enrolled in the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. The degrees to which respondents held stereotypical beliefs about gender roles and had patriarchal mindsets were measured using a questionnaire. Based on participants' responses, we divided respondents into 2 groups-those with conservative mindsets and those with open mindsets-according to the median score for each of the 2 variables. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Korean version (MMSE-K). Cognitive impairment was defined as an MMSE-K score ≤21 points. Multivariable logistic regression was performed, adjusting for gender, age, socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, and social network size. Age and lifestyle factors were stratified.
Results:
Compared to those with open mindsets, those with conservative mindsets regarding gender roles and patriarchal norms had adjusted odds ratios of 1.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 3.19) and 1.67 (95% CI, 1.00 to 2.79) for cognitive impairment, respectively. In the stratified analysis, subgroups with younger age and a good lifestyle maintained a protective association with cognitive impairment.
Conclusions:
GRS and a patriarchal mindset were marginally significantly associated with cognitive impairment among women later in life.
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