Self-perceptions of aging and cognitive function: the mediating role of volunteering and intergenerational activities

According to stereotype embodiment theory (SET), negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) affect health across the lifespan. Research indicates that both positive and negative SPA are associated with various health outcomes, including cognitive function. SET postulates three pathways through which SPA can affect health: psychological, behavioral, and physiological. The behavioral pathway suggests that older adults with negative SPA are less likely to engage in a healthy lifestyle, viewing such efforts as futile. Although studies have explored the relationship between SPA and cognitive function, limited research has examined activities that may mediate this relationship. Volunteering and intergenerational activities are potential pathways, as past interventions have shown improvements in memory, attention, and cognitive function. This study investigated the associations of SPA, volunteering, intergenerational activities, and cognitive function, including volunteering and intergenerational activities as mediators in the SPA-cognition relationship, during a 4-year period.

Two waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2014 and 2018) were merged with the Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaire. Using a sample of 1,892 adults aged 65 or older, models were estimated via generalized estimating equations, accounting for the nonindependence of repeated measures.

Positive SPA was significantly associated with better cognitive function, and volunteering activities partially mediated this relationship. However, intergenerational activities did not mediate the SPA-cognition relationship, likely due to measurement constraints, because the single item used may have primarily captured caregiving or kinship roles.

Findings suggest that promoting SPA and volunteering activities can be promising strategies for future interventions aimed at supporting cognitive health.