Job strain and trajectories of change in episodic memory before and after retirement: results from the Health and Retirement Study

Job strain and trajectories of change in episodic memory before and after retirement: results from the Health and Retirement Study

Background We examined indicators of job strain in relation to level and change in episodic memory in the years leading up to as well as following retirement. Methods Our analyses centre on 3779 individuals from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (baseline age 57.3 years) who...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) Vol. 69; no. 5; pp. 442 - 446
Main Authors: Andel, Ross, Infurna, Frank J, Hahn Rickenbach, Elizabeth A, Crowe, Michael, Marchiondo, Lisa, Fisher, Gwenith G
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01-05-2015
BMJ Publishing Group LTD
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cardiovascular diseases
Cognition & reasoning
Cognitive ability
Cognitive Aging - psychology
Employment
Employment - psychology
Female
Health Surveys
Humans
Internal-External Control
Job design
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Memory, Episodic
Middle Aged
Models, Statistical
Occupational health
Occupational stress
Retirement - psychology
Stress, Psychological - etiology
Studies
United States
Work and health
Work environment
United States
United States > US
GERONTOLOGY
COGNITION
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Work stress
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Summary:Background We examined indicators of job strain in relation to level and change in episodic memory in the years leading up to as well as following retirement. Methods Our analyses centre on 3779 individuals from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (baseline age 57.3 years) who reported gainful employment in an occupation for 10+ years prior to retirement, and who were assessed for episodic memory performance over up to 20 years (median 8 waves over 16 years). We used ratings from the Occupational Information Network (O*Net) to score occupations for job control and job demands, and to measure job strain (job demands/job control). Results Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, and cardiovascular disease, less job control and greater job strain were not significantly associated with change in episodic memory in the period leading up to retirement, but were associated with significantly poorer episodic memory at retirement and an accelerated rate of decline in episodic memory following retirement. The results did not vary for men and women or by self-employment status. Conclusions Job strain expressed mainly as low job control is linked to poorer episodic memory at retirement and more decline after retirement. Job characteristics appear to have implications for cognitive ageing independent of relevant confounds.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0143-005X
1470-2738
DOI:10.1136/jech-2014-204754