Objectives The rising prevalence of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and related disorders signals the need for a better understanding of how social factors may affect cognitive health for millions of Americans. Drawing from cumulative inequality theory, we aim to understand the implications of a stressful childhood on social relationships and cognitive health in later life. Methods This study utilizes longitudinal data (2006-2016) from the Health and Retirement Study to examine pathways, both direct and indirect through social relationships in adulthood, from childhood stressors to cognitive health trajectories over time. Results Respondents reporting a greater number of stressors in childhood had worse cognitive health over time, but those negative effects were not as steep as time progressed. Early-life stressors are also associated with less social support and more social strain in adulthood which, in turn, are associated with initial cognitive health. Finally, pathway analyses confirm that childhood stressors are indirectly associated with initial cognitive health through social strain and social support. Discussion Findings reveal that a stressful childhood creates chains of risks that have lifelong implications for cognitive health, both directly and indirectly by creating obstacles for developing healthy and supportive social relationships.
Background and Objectives Although most strokes occur in later life, recent studies reveal that negative exposures decades earlier are associated with stroke risk. The purpose of this study was to examine whether accumulated and/or specific domains of early misfortune are related to stroke incidence in later life. Research Design and Methods A decade of longitudinal data from stroke-free participants 50 years or older in the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed (N = 12,473). Incident stroke was defined as either self-reported first incident stroke or death due to stroke between 2004 and 2014. Results Analyses revealed that accumulated misfortune was associated with increased stroke risk, but the relationship was moderated by wealth. Examining specific domains of childhood misfortune revealed that stroke incidence was greater for persons with behavioral/psychological risks, but that this relationship also was moderated by higher wealth for those with only one behavioral/psychological risk. Discussion and Implications Accumulated childhood misfortune and adolescent depression heighten the risk of stroke in later life, but the influence is remediable through adult wealth. Reducing poverty in later life may decrease stroke incidence for persons exposed to negative childhood exposures.
Previous studies have identified the early origins of physical frailty, notably poor childhood health and socioeconomic status, but relatively few studies examine whether social support in later life mitigates the influence of early noxious exposures on frailty. Given the established relationship between health and social relationships in older adults, this research uses data from the Health and Retirement study (2004-2016) to examine whether social support and strain mediate the effect of childhood exposures on frailty in later life. A series of linear regression and pathway models were estimated to test whether childhood exposures, including socioeconomic status, infectious and chronic diseases, impairments, and risky adolescent parental behaviors, were associated with phenotypic frailty (Fried et al. 2001). After adjusting for demographic and adult factors, accumulated childhood misfortune was directly (b=0.015, p<.01) and indirectly (b=0.007, p<.001) associated with more frailty. Average social support, but not strain, from one’s spouse, children, family and friends significantly mediated the relationship between accumulated misfortune and frailty (b= -.002, p<.01). Path analysis revealed that social support reduces later life frailty directly (b=-0.106 ,p<.001) and indirectly through a reduction in adult morbidity (b=-0.031, p<.001). However, counterintuitively we found that accumulated misfortune was associated with more social support. Supplemental analyses reveal that one or more infectious diseases in childhood were responsible for the positive relationship (b= 0.393, p<.001). These results have implications for how we may reduce the burden of frailty on those who have experienced misfortune early in life.
Prior studies have demonstrated the effects of early socioeconomic status on later life cognition; yet the degree to which this effect operates directly, or indirectly through adult factors, is not well documented. Drawing from accumulation theories, we use longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study and its Life History Mail Survey (N=11,761) to examine the extent to which childhood socioeconomic privilege protects against later life cognitive decline and whether this effect is direct or indirect through measures of adult socioeconomic position. Analyses reveal that, among childhood privilege measures, consistent attendance in private school, participation in college preparation, foreign language, and multiple clubs in high school were most protective of later life cognition. The effect of cumulative childhood privilege on later life cognition is both direct and indirect through increased wealth and education credentials and the strength of this relationship is particularly robust for those demonstrating upward social mobility.
Although physical activity throughout life is one of the most reliable predictors of healthy aging, can less consistent or favorable trajectories also improve cognition trajectories among older adults? Drawing from accumulation theories, we use longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study and Life History Mail Survey (N=9,309) to examine the early antecedents of cognitive decline and the extent to which different life course physical activity profiles can slow such a decline. Results from latent class analysis reveal seven distinct profiles: consistently low, consistently high, consistently average (reference), improvers, decliners, midlife motivators, and previously athletic “couch potatoes.” Growth curve modeling analyses show that membership in the consistently high class and midlife motivators were associated with better cognition initially and over time, with no difference between the two classes. Additionally, though poor health and learning problems in childhood were associated with worse initial cognition, physical activity does not mediate the relationship.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.