Socioeconomic factors and the risk of cognitive decline among the elderly population in Japan

Abstract

Aim In Japan, with the largest percentage of population aged 65 years or over, a dementia strategy is needed not only from a medical perspective, but also from a social policy viewpoint. This study aimed to verify the association between socioeconomic factors and cognitive decline among Japanese elderly people. Methods Cognitive decline was assessed over a 15‐year follow‐up period using memory tests or through identifying missing/proxy responses to survey questions due to cognitive dysfunction. I analysed 1886 men and 2102 women in Japan, using competing risk models for cognitive decline, to consider survival effects. Survival effects have not been considered so far although those who live longer may be more likely to experience cognitive decline. Results Men with higher income had a lower risk of cognitive decline (sub‐hazard ratio [SHR]: 0.997, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.995‐0.999). Women with higher education had a lower risk of cognitive decline: 8 to 9 years (SHR: 0.646, 95% CI: 0.457‐0.914) and ≥12 years (SHR: 0.360, 95% CI: 0.164‐0.794) than women with 0 to 7 years of education. Conclusion This study suggests that cognitive decline among the elderly Japanese population is associated with socioeconomic factors, such as income and education, even after taking survival effects into account.

Narrative discourse of young and older brazilian adults associated with demographic factors

“…Higher prevalence of dementia was found among the younger elderly, aged 65-69 years, in Latin American countries compared with developed nations, whereas the older elderly presented a higher rate of dementia in developed countries (3) . These findings corroborate those of studies associating differences in functional or cognitive performance with social, ethnic, economic, cultural or demographic diversity (4,5,6,7) , as well as with genetic factors (8) . Cognitive-behavioral and functional-structural changes may occur as a result of education, a multidimensional variable that encompasses quality of life, socioeconomic level, and activities of daily living (9) .…”

Associations Among Health Insurance Type, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and the Risk of Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study in Korea

“…Previous empirical studies have suggested that health behavior differed with socioeconomic position [12]. Therefore, the relationship between socioeconomic factors and cognitive function in later life may be determined by cognitive reserve, which refers to an array of factors that provide resilience against neuropathological damage [13] and/or the differences in health behaviors [14]. Socioeconomic disadvantage was reported to be associated with a higher dementia risk, but the mechanism through which socioeconomic factors affect dementia risk is unclear.…”

Predictors of Changes in Cognitive Function in Older Korean Adults: The 2006–2018 Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging

“…In this aspect, findings from the Korean urban rural elderly cohort study, in which 3517 participants aged 65 years and older completed baseline assessments, show that Korean older adults residing in a rural area had lower educational attainment, lower household income, and higher rates of heavy drinking, smoking, and being underweight compared with their counterparts residing in an urban area [ 35 ]. By contrast, higher educational attainment, higher household income, and living in advantaged environments were protective of age-related cognitive decline in older adults [ 36 , 37 ].…”