Beschreibung
Background: Intelligence is known to predict health. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are still subject of debate, especially regarding older adults. Environmental and behavioral risk factors have been suggested to play an instrumental part in shaping this relationship. Here, our aim was to assess the link of cognitive ability and physical and mental health along with potential risk factors in an aging population.Methods: To this end, we made use of the SHARE (Study of Health and Retirement in Europe) dataset, a large-scale, longitudinal assessment of EU residents older than 50 years (N range = 10,000-30,000+). We estimated intelligence via the cognitive function variables mathematical ability, verbal fluency, and memory. Physical and mental health indicators (e.g., number of doctor visits; self-reported depression) along with environmental and behavioral risk factors (e.g., workplace environment risk, smoking) were included as potential moderators.
Results: Higher scores in cognitive abilities were modestly but consistently associated with more favorable health outcomes (rs = .13-.29). Conversely, cognitive abilities showed negative, but less consistent correlations with risk factors (rs = |<.01|-|.38|). Mixed-model Poisson regression yielded an 11 percent decline in self-reported physical symptom count with each unit of increase in mathematical ability. We found no significant moderation by risk factors.
Discussion: We find that physical and mental health are positively associated with intelligence in a representative sample of older European adults. Moderation by risk factors could not sufficiently explain this relationship, lending support to recent evidence indicating a common genetic origin of both health and intelligence.
| Zeitraum | 4 Feb. 2022 |
|---|---|
| Ereignistitel | VDS CoBeNe PhD Academy |
| Veranstaltungstyp | Konferenz |
| Konferenznummer | 1 |
| Ort | Wien, ÖsterreichAuf Karte anzeigen |