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High school quality is associated with cognition 58 years later
Dominika Seblova1,2, Chloe Eng3, Justina F Avila-Rieger1
1Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, The Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Department of Neurology Columbia University New York New York USA.
Alzheimer'S & Dementia (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
|May 5, 2023
Summary
Attending higher quality high schools, particularly those with more teachers holding graduate degrees, is linked to better cognitive function in older adults. This is especially important for Black communities, suggesting school investment can boost brain health.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Educational Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cognitive decline in older adults is a significant public health concern.
- The long-term impact of early-life educational experiences on later-life cognitive function remains an area of active research.
- Socioeconomic and racial disparities in educational quality may contribute to health inequities in aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between high school quality and cognitive performance in older adults.
- To identify specific indicators of school quality that predict cognitive function.
- To examine potential racial disparities in exposure to school quality and their cognitive consequences.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Project Talent Aging Study, a unique school-based longitudinal cohort.
- Collected data on six indicators of high school quality from principals at the time of schooling.
- Employed multilevel linear and logistic models to analyze cognitive function (mean age 74.8) 58 years later.
- Included neurocognitive testing via telephone for 2,289 participants.
Main Results:
- Higher high school quality, particularly the number of teachers with graduate training, predicted better cognitive performance in later life.
- School quality had a notable impact on language abilities.
- Black respondents were disproportionately enrolled in lower-quality high schools.
Conclusions:
- Attending higher quality schools is a significant predictor of cognitive health in older age.
- Investing in school quality, especially in schools serving Black children, may be a viable strategy to enhance cognitive function and reduce health disparities.
- Educational quality during adolescence has lasting effects on cognitive trajectories into late adulthood.
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