Influence of Negative Life Events and Widowhood on Risk for Dementia

Gerritsen, Lotte; Wang, Huixin; Reynolds, Chandra A.; Fratiglioni, Laura; Gatz, Margaret; Pedersen, Nancy L.

doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2017.02.009

Cited by 42 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In addition, given the mixed findings on the longitudinal link between widowhood and cognitive function, the present study considered both the changes in cognitive function over time and the rates of cognitive changes in relation to widowhood duration, which may be a unique contribution to the field. Consistent with previous research, we observed that the experience of widowhood was associated with the trajectories of cognitive decline among Korean older adults for up to 8 years of follow‐up. A significant duration effect on cognitive function was found in our unadjusted model, which suggests that the first 2 years after spousal loss was associated with a lower level of cognitive function.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…All covariates were significantly associated with cognitive function (P < 0.001).Figure 2shows the longitudinal relationship between widowhood status and cognitive function trajectory after controlling for covariates (model 4).4 | DISCUSSIONGiven the limited research evidence regarding the longitudinal impact of widowhood on changes in cognitive function among the Korean population, the present study investigated the effects of widowhood status on the trajectories of cognitive function among communitydwelling older adults in Korea from a nationally representative dataset.In addition, given the mixed findings on the longitudinal link between widowhood and cognitive function, the present study considered both the changes in cognitive function over time and the rates of cognitive changes in relation to widowhood duration, which may be a unique contribution to the field. Consistent with previous research,20,[38][39][40] we observed that the experience of widowhood was associated with the trajectories of cognitive decline among Korean older adults for up to 8 years of follow-up. A significant duration effect on cognitive function was found in our unadjusted model, which suggests that the first 2 years after spousal loss was associated with a lower level of cognitive function.…”

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confidence: 91%

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Trajectories of cognitive decline by widowhood status among Korean older adults

Lyu

Min

Kim

2019

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

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Objectives Given the limited evidence regarding the longitudinal impact of widowhood on cognitive function in later life, the present study aimed to investigate the longitudinal effect of widowhood status on cognitive change among Korean older adults. Methods The study sample was drawn from a nationally representative data set, the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA); it consisted of 3,660 Korean adults aged 60 and over who were married at baseline. Our dependent variable, cognitive function, was measured by the Korean version of the Mini‐Mental State Examination (K‐MMSE). Widowhood status was measured with the combination of widowhood status and duration. Growth curve models were constructed using five waves of the KLoSA (2006‐2014) to examine the longitudinal trajectories of cognitive changes. Results In the unadjusted model, widowed older adults had significantly lower cognitive function than their nonwidowed counterparts regardless of widowhood duration. Adjusting for covariates, results from the growth curve models showed that widowed older adults with widowhood duration 4 to 6 years had a significantly steeper decline in cognitive function than nonwidowed older adults (P < 0.05). Conclusions These findings suggest that widowhood is detrimental for late‐life cognitive function. Further research is required to understand the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Policy and practice implications are discussed according to the cultural context.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

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confidence: 91%

Trajectories of cognitive decline by widowhood status among Korean older adults

Lyu

Min

Kim

2019

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

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“…This study found a greater risk of dementia developing among widowed people, in case-control and cross-sectional studies, compared with cohort studies 11 . These results confirm the findings of the present study, which exhibited a greater occurrence of dementia among widowed people, which links widowhood to greater conditions of stress and less social support for dealing with daily activities 12 .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Prevalence of dementia among widowed and non-widowed patients and associated clinical and sociodemographic characteristics

Schultz

Fernandez

Novo

et al. 2019

Rev. bras. geriatr. gerontol.

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Objective: to verify if the prevalence of dementia differs between widowed and non-widowed elderly persons and between genders, and to analyse if there is an association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Method: a retrospective cross-sectional observational study of patients treated at a Behavioral Neurology outpatient clinic from 1999 to 2009 was carried out, employing anamnesis, physical and neurological examination, the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Sociodemographic (schooling and age) and clinical (age of onset of symptoms and time since onset of symptoms, MMSE and CDR) variables were analyzed. The differences were evaluated by the Mann Whitney test, using a significance value of p<0.05. Results: of 208 patients diagnosed with dementia, 73 (35.1%) were widowed and 135 (64.9%) were non-widowed. Those who were widowed were older than those who were non-widowed (p<0.001) when diagnosed with dementia. This difference in age remained when gender (p<0.001), widowed and widowed women (p<0.001) and widowed and non-widowed men (p<0.001) were compared. The time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was greater in widowed than in non-widowed men [55.6 (± 86.3) vs. 43.4 (± 44.8) months], although the difference was not statistically significant. Widowed patients with dementia had lower schooling, regardless of gender (p<0.05). Conclusion: the prevalence of dementia differed between widowed and non-widowed individuals, being higher among non-widows. There was an association between widowhood and the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, with differences between the genders. The loss of a spouse can generate different outcomes among men and women, necessitating measures with a specific focus on prevention and strategies of care in dementia.

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“…In other words, patients who become widow are at higher risk for dementia. Previous studies have validated this, which shows that experience of a stressful life event is associated with an increased risk of dementia [ 7 ]. Also, the AD8 shows that those individuals with high education (six years or more) were at a lower risk of dementia (p < 0.01).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Detecting Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Pozo

Espinosa

Donadi³

et al. 2020

Cureus

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Objective To assess the cognitive function, prevalence, and risk factors associated with cognitive decline and dementia in people above 65 years of age in Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. Methods This is a cross-sectional observational study that was carried out in adults over 65 years of age in Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador. The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and ascertain dementia eight-item informant questionnaire (AD8)-validated Ecuador Spanish versions were used to assess cognition. Results There were a total of 80 participants, 55 (67%) women and 25 (31.2%) men. The majority of participants were Mestizos (85.3%), with the remainder classified as White (4.8%), Afro-Ecuadorians (2.4%), or Indigenous (3.6%). The prevalence of cognitive impairment is 30.0%-43.7%. The MMSE results showed that older age and lack of education are risk factors for cognitive decline (p < 0.01). There was high correlation between MMSE and AD8 scores. The AD8 showed that older age, widowhood, and living in Santa Rosa were risk factors for cognitive decline (p < 0.01). According to the AD8, the group with the highest education (six years or more) had the lowest risk of cognitive decline and dementia (p < 0.01). Conclusions The main risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia in individuals above 65 years old in Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, Ecuador are increased age, lack of education, and widowhood. The prevalence of cognitive impairment is similar to previous studies in Ecuador.

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Influence of Negative Life Events and Widowhood on Risk for Dementia

Cited by 42 publications

References 45 publications

Trajectories of cognitive decline by widowhood status among Korean older adults

Trajectories of cognitive decline by widowhood status among Korean older adults

Prevalence of dementia among widowed and non-widowed patients and associated clinical and sociodemographic characteristics

Detecting Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

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