scholarly journals Influence of childhood socioeconomic position and ability on mid-life cognitive function: evidence from three British birth cohorts

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2020-215637
Author(s):  
Eoin McElroy ◽  
Marcus Richards ◽  
Emla Fitzsimons ◽  
Gabriella Conti ◽  
George B Ploubidis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Modifiable Factors ◽  
British Cohort Study ◽  
Childhood Cognitive Ability

BackgroundChildhood socioeconomic position (SEP) is robustly associated with cognitive function later in life. However, it is unclear whether this reflects a direct relationship, or an indirect association via modifiable factors such as educational attainment and occupation. We sought to clarify these associations using retrospectively harmonised data from three ongoing British birth cohorts.MethodsWe analysed data from the 1946 National Survey of Health and Development (n=2283), the 1958 National Child Development Study (n=9385) and the 1970 British Cohort Study (n=7631). Retrospective harmonisation was used to derive equivalent indicators of cognition, SEP, education and occupation across the three cohorts. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the association between childhood SEP and mid-life cognitive function, via childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment and mid-life occupation.ResultsAcross all three cohorts, no direct pathways were observed between childhood SEP and mid-life cognitive function. Rather, this association was indirect via the three temporally ordered mediators. In addition, the direct pathway between childhood cognition and adult cognitive function was weaker in the two younger studies.ConclusionsAcross three British birth cohorts, we found that the association between early life SEP and mid-life cognitive function was fully mediated by childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment and occupational status. Furthermore, the association between early cognitive ability and mid-life cognitive function has decreased in younger generations. Therefore, cognitive function in adulthood may be influenced by modifiable factors and societal change.

scholarly journals Education and Cognitive Functioning Across the Life Span

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lövdén ◽  
Laura Fratiglioni ◽  
M. Maria Glymour ◽  
Ulman Lindenberger ◽  
Elliot M. Tucker-Drob
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Positive Effects

Cognitive abilities are important predictors of educational and occupational performance, socioeconomic attainment, health, and longevity. Declines in cognitive abilities are linked to impairments in older adults’ everyday functions, but people differ from one another in their rates of cognitive decline over the course of adulthood and old age. Hence, identifying factors that protect against compromised late-life cognition is of great societal interest. The number of years of formal education completed by individuals is positively correlated with their cognitive function throughout adulthood and predicts lower risk of dementia late in life. These observations have led to the propositions that prolonging education might (a) affect cognitive ability and (b) attenuate aging-associated declines in cognition. We evaluate these propositions by reviewing the literature on educational attainment and cognitive aging, including recent analyses of data harmonized across multiple longitudinal cohort studies and related meta-analyses. In line with the first proposition, the evidence indicates that educational attainment has positive effects on cognitive function. We also find evidence that cognitive abilities are associated with selection into longer durations of education and that there are common factors (e.g., parental socioeconomic resources) that affect both educational attainment and cognitive development. There is likely reciprocal interplay among these factors, and among cognitive abilities, during development. Education–cognitive ability associations are apparent across the entire adult life span and across the full range of education levels, including (to some degree) tertiary education. However, contrary to the second proposition, we find that associations between education and aging-associated cognitive declines are negligible and that a threshold model of dementia can account for the association between educational attainment and late-life dementia risk. We conclude that educational attainment exerts its influences on late-life cognitive function primarily by contributing to individual differences in cognitive skills that emerge in early adulthood but persist into older age. We also note that the widespread absence of educational influences on rates of cognitive decline puts constraints on theoretical notions of cognitive aging, such as the concepts of cognitive reserve and brain maintenance. Improving the conditions that shape development during the first decades of life carries great potential for improving cognitive ability in early adulthood and for reducing public-health burdens related to cognitive aging and dementia.

scholarly journals An investigation of Social Class Inequalities in General Cognitive Ability in Two British Birth Cohorts

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxanne Connelly ◽  
Vernon Gayle
Keyword(s):  
Social Class ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
General Cognitive Ability ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Ability Test ◽  
British Cohort Study ◽  
Nationally Representative

The ‘Flynn effect’ describes the substantial and long-standing increase in average cognitive ability test scores, which has been observed in numerous psychological studies. Flynn makes an appeal for researchers to move beyond psychology’s standard disciplinary boundaries and to consider sociological contexts, in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive inequalities. In this article we respond to this appeal and investigate social class inequalities in general cognitive ability test scores over time. We analyse data from the National Child Development Study (1958) and the British Cohort Study (1970). These two British birth cohorts are suitable nationally representative large-scale data resources for studying inequalities in general cognitive ability.We observe a large parental social class effect, net of parental education and gender in both cohorts. The overall finding is that large social class divisions in cognitive ability can be observed when children are still at primary school, and similar patterns are observed in each cohort. Notably, pupils with fathers at the lower end of the class structure are at a distinct disadvantage. This is a disturbing finding and it is especially important because cognitive ability is known to influence individuals later in the lifecourse.

scholarly journals Comparative Data Note: Harmonising the measurement of social origin, cognitive ability and educational attainment across the National Child Development Study (NCDS), the British Cohort Study (BCS70), the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), and the Avon Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastian Andreas Betthäuser ◽  
Mollie Bourne ◽  
Erzsebet Bukodi
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Young People ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Social Origin ◽  
National Child Development Study ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
British Cohort Study

The data note presents and discusses descriptive statistics comparing key variables on individuals’ social origin, cognitive ability and educational attainment that have been constructed based on the information contained in four different data sets: National Child Development Study (NCDS), 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) and Avon Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The main sets of variables presented are (1) measures of respondents’ cognitive ability in childhood, (2) parental education, class, status and income, and (3) respondents’ highest qualification and measures indicating whether respondents have crossed different educational qualification thresholds.

scholarly journals 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and cognitive performance in mid-life

2013 ◽  
Vol 111 (5) ◽  
pp. 904-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Maddock ◽  
Marie-Claude Geoffroy ◽  
Chris Power ◽  
Elina Hyppönen
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Menopausal Status ◽  
Word Recall ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Hydroxyvitamin D ◽  
25 Hydroxyvitamin D ◽  
Childhood Cognitive Ability

Hypovitaminosis D has been linked with poor cognitive function, particularly in older adults, but studies lack a lifespan approach; hence, the effects of reverse causality remain unknown. In the present study, we aimed to assess the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and subsequent cognitive performance in mid-adulthood and the influence of earlier life factors, including childhood cognitive ability, on this association. Information for the present study was obtained from the members of the 1958 British birth cohort (n 6496). Serum 25(OH)D concentration, indicating vitamin D status, was measured at age 45 years. Verbal memory (immediate and delayed word recall), verbal fluency (animal naming) and speed of processing were tested at age 50 years. Information on childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment, vitamin D-related behaviours and other covariates was collected prospectively from participants throughout their life. Childhood cognitive ability and educational attainment by age 42 years were strongly correlated with cognitive performance at age 50 years and with several vitamin D-related behaviours in mid-adulthood, but not with 25(OH)D concentrations at age 45 years. Participants with both low ( < 25 nmol/l) and high ( ≥ 75 nmol/l) 25(OH)D concentrations at age 45 years performed significantly worse on immediate word recall. The associations attenuated after adjustment for childhood cognitive ability, education, and socio-economic position; however, for the immediate word recall test, there was a non-linear association with 25(OH)D after further adjustment for obesity, menopausal status, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and depressive symptoms at age 45 years (Pcurvature= 0·01). The present study demonstrated that 25(OH)D concentrations were non-linearly associated with immediate word recall in mid-life. A clarification of the level of 25(OH)D concentrations that is most beneficial for predicting better cognitive performance in mid-life is required.

A Transgenerational Model of Status Attainment: the Potential Mediating Role of School Motivation and Education

2008 ◽  
Vol 205 ◽  
pp. 72-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Schoon
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Status Attainment ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
British Cohort Study

This paper examines the influences of parental social status, childhood cognitive ability, school motivation and education on social status attainment in early adulthood. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), a pathway model of transgenerational status attainment is conceptualised, taking into account the context as well as the timing of individual status transitions. The subjects were 3104 men and 3229 women who participated in the 1958 National Child Development Study and 3049 men and 2692 women from the 1970 British Cohort Study, following their lives from childhood to their mid-thirties. The findings suggest that in both cohorts the number of years spent in full-time education is by far the most important determinant of status attainment among men and women and that there are persistent social inequalities in status attainment. The findings furthermore confirm the hypothesis that social background and cognitive ability are partially mediated through school motivation and education, opening up leverage for possible interventions.

scholarly journals Measuring social origin, cognitive ability and educational attainment in the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastian Andreas Betthäuser ◽  
Mollie Bourne ◽  
Erzsebet Bukodi
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Social Origin ◽  
Education Class ◽  
British Cohort Study ◽  
Key Variables ◽  
Class Status

This data note presents and discussed descriptive statistics of the key variables on individuals’ social origin, cognitive ability and educational attainment that have been constructed based on the information contained in the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70). The main sets of variables presented are (1) measures of respondents’ cognitive ability in childhood, (2) parental education, class, status and income, and (3) respondents’ highest qualification and measures indicating whether respondents have crossed different educational qualification thresholds.

scholarly journals Long-term effects of breast-feeding in a national birth cohort: educational attainment and midlife cognitive function

2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 631-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Richards ◽  
Rebecca Hardy ◽  
Michael EJ Wadsworth
Keyword(s):  
Visual Search ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Breast Feeding ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Cognitive Test

Abstract:Objective:A recent meta-analysis showed that breast-feeding confers a 3.2 point increment in cognitive function through adolescence. Little is known, however, about possible longer-term effects of breast-feeding. We investigated the effect of breast-feeding on educational attainment, and on a range of cognitive skills in midlife, in the British 1946 birth cohort.Objective:Design: Regression analyses were used to test the association between breast-feeding, likelihood of obtaining advanced educational qualifications by age 26 years, and three cognitive test scores at age 53 years: i.e. reading ability (NART), timed visual search and verbal memory. These associations were then adjusted for social confounding variables and for cognitive ability at age 15 years.Setting and subjects:One thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine male and female participants in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, also known as the British 1946 birth cohort, distributed throughout England, Wales and Scotland.Results:Breast-feeding was significantly and positively associated with educational attainment, an effect that was independent of early social background, but largely accounted for by cognitive ability at age 15 years. Breast-feeding was significantly and positively associated with the NART at 53 years, an effect that was independent of early social background, educational attainment and adult social class, but, again, largely accounted for by cognitive ability at 15 years. There was no independent effect of breast-feeding on timed visual search or verbal memory at 53 years.Conclusion:The benefit of breast-feeding has long-term potential impact across the life course through its influence on childhood cognition and educational attainment.

Socioeconomic Position and Late-Onset Dementia: A Nationwide Register-Based Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110372
Author(s):  
Andreas M. Appel ◽  
Henrik Brønnum-Hansen ◽  
Anne H. Garde ◽  
Åse Marie Hansen ◽  
Kazi Ishtiak-Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Attainment ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Socioeconomic Position ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Dementia Risk ◽  
Short Education ◽  
Late Onset Dementia ◽  
Lower Educational Attainment

Objectives Previous research on the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and dementia has not sufficiently accounted for the complex relationship between education and occupation. We investigated the independent and joint effects of educational attainment and occupation-based SEP on dementia. Methods We used register-based information about educational attainment, occupation-based SEP, and dementia from 1,210,720 individuals. Information about cognitive ability at conscription was available for a subsample of men. Results When mutually adjusted, lower educational attainment and occupation-based SEP were associated with higher dementia risk in a dose–response manner. Higher occupation-based SEP partly mitigated the higher dementia risk associated with lower educational attainment. After adjusting for cognitive ability in a subgroup of men, only unskilled work was associated with higher dementia risk. Discussion Occupation-based SEP is independently associated with dementia and may mitigate the higher dementia risk associated with short education. Future research should elucidate the mechanisms underlying social inequality in dementia.

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