The Impact of Later-Life Learning on Trajectories of Cognitive Function Among U.S. Older Adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Low education in early life is a major risk factor for dementia. However, little is known about how education in later life is related to cognitive function in older adults. We assessed whether later-life learning was associated with better cognitive function over time and whether the associations differed by sex, race/ethnicity, and prior education. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used data from the 2008-2018 Health and Retirement Study, including participants aged 65+ without baseline dementia and followed for up to 6 years. Global cognition was measured using a summary score. Later-life learning was measured at every wave at least once a month or more, not in the last month, or never. RESULTS: Of 12 099 participants, 10.2% attended an educational or training course "at least once a month or more," 45.5% reported "not in the last month," and 43.3% reported "never" at each wave of the study. Results from adjusted mixed-effects models showed that engaging in any later-life learning, either at least once a month (0.56 points higher, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.40-0.73) or not in the last month (0.55 points higher, 95% CI = 0.45-0.65) was associated with better cognitive function compared to never engaging in these activities. The association remained consistent as people aged. The benefits of later-life learning on cognitive function were greater in women than in men-at least once a month versus never was 0.30 points greater in women than men (95% CI = -0.03 to 0.63, p = .0760); not in the last month versus never was 0.24 points greater in women than men (95% CI = 0.04-0.43, p = .016). There were no significant differences by race/ethnicity or prior education. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Later-life learning was associated with better cognitive function over time. These findings underscore the importance of continued learning among older adults.

Duke Scholars

Author Hanzhang Xu School of Nursing

Author Eleanor Schildwachter McConnell School of Nursing

Author Bei Wu School of Nursing

Author Matthew E. Dupre Population Health Sciences

Author Ying Xian Neurology, Neurocritical Care