Childhood Abuse and Cognitive Function in a Large Cohort of Middle-Aged Women

2020 ◽  
pp. 107755952097064
Author(s):  
Andrea L. Roberts ◽  
Jennifer A. Sumner ◽  
Karestan C. Koenen ◽  
Laura D. Kubzansky ◽  
Francine Grodstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Psychomotor Speed ◽  
Health Factors ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Socioeconomic Status And Health

Cognitive function at middle age is of particular public health interest, as it strongly predicts later dementia. Children who have experienced abuse subsequently have worse cognitive function than those who have not. However, it remains unclear whether the association of abuse with cognitive function persists into middle age. In 2014–2016, 14,151 women ages 49–69 years who had previously responded to a childhood abuse questionnaire completed a cognitive battery. In models adjusted for childhood socioeconomic status and head trauma, combined physical, emotional, and sexual abuse was associated with lower scores on both Learning/Working Memory (severe abuse, lower scores similar to that observed in women 4.8 years older in our data) and Psychomotor Speed/Attention (severe abuse, lower scores similar to that observed in women to 2.9 years older in our data). Adjustment for adulthood socioeconomic status and health factors (e.g., smoking, hypertension) slightly attenuated associations. In exploratory analyses further adjusted for psychological distress, associations were attenuated. Women exposed versus unexposed to childhood abuse had poorer cognitive function at mid-life. Associations were particularly strong for learning and working memory and were not accounted for by adulthood health factors. Childhood abuse should be investigated as a potential risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia in old age.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic Status Moderates the Impact of Emotional but not Physical Childhood Abuse on Women’s Sleep

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl L. Currie ◽  
Erin K. Higa ◽  
Lisa-Marie Swanepoel
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Child Abuse ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Physical Child Abuse ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽  
The Impact

AbstractA recent systematic review highlighted associations between childhood abuse and adult sleep quality, and the need for research focused specifically on women and the role of moderating variables. The objectives of the present study were (1) to assess the impact of frequent physical and emotional child abuse on adult sleep among women; and (2) to assess the role that childhood socioeconomic status (SES) could play in moderating these associations. In-person data were collected from women living in a mid-sized city in western Canada in 2019–2020 (N = 185; M age = 40 years). Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Physical and emotional abuse experienced often or very often in childhood were assessed using single items (yes or no). Childhood SES was assessed by a single item and dichotomized at the sample median. Linear regression models examined associations between each form of abuse and continuous adult sleep quality score adjusted for covariates. Statistically significant interactions were stratified and examined by child SES group. Frequent physical and emotional childhood abuse were each associated with clinically and statistically significant increases in past-month sleep problem scores among women in adjusted models. This association was moderated by childhood SES for emotional child abuse, but not physical child abuse. Findings suggest that growing up in an upper-middle to upper SES household may buffer the adverse impact of frequent emotional child abuse on later adult sleep, but may not promote resilience in the context of frequent physical child abuse. 

Rethinking the relationship between socioeconomic status and health: Challenging how socioeconomic status is currently used in health inequality research

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thierry Gagné ◽  
Adrian E. Ghenadenik
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Inequality ◽  
Scandinavian Journal ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Editorial Policy ◽  
Unequal Distribution ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Socioeconomic Status And Health

Aims: The Scandinavian Journal of Public Health recently reiterated the importance of addressing social justice and health inequalities in its new editorial policy announcement. One of the related challenges highlighted in that issue was the limited use of sociological theories able to inform the complexity linking the resources and mechanisms captured by the concept of socioeconomic status. This debate article argues that part of the problem lies in the often unchallenged reliance on a generic conceptualization and operationalization of socioeconomic status. These practices hinder researchers’ capacity to examine in finer detail how resources and circumstances promote the unequal distribution of health through distinct yet intertwined pathways. As a potential way forward, this commentary explores how research practices can be challenged through concrete publication policies and guidelines. To this end, we propose a set of recommendations as a tool to strengthen the study of socioeconomic status and, ultimately, the quality of health inequality research. Conclusions: Authors, reviewers, and editors can become champions of change toward the implementation of sociological theory by holding higher standards regarding the conceptualization, operationalization, analysis, and interpretation of results in health inequality research.

scholarly journals Association of change in cognitive function from early adulthood to middle age with risk of cause-specific mortality: the Vietnam Experience Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 712-716
Author(s):  
G David Batty ◽  
Ian J Deary ◽  
Martin J Shipley
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Specific Mortality ◽  
Using Data

BackgroundStudies with single baseline measurements of cognitive function consistently reveal inverse relationships with mortality risk. The relation of change in functioning, particularly from early in the life course, which may offer additional insights into causality, has not, to the best of our knowledge, been tested.AimsTo examine the association of change in cognition between late adolescence and middle age with cause-specific mortality using data from a prospective cohort study.MethodsThe analytical sample consisted of 4289 former US male military personnel who were administered the Army General Technical Test in early adulthood (mean age 20.4 years) and again in middle age (mean age 38.3 years).ResultsA 15-year period of mortality surveillance subsequent to the second phase of cognitive testing gave rise to 237 deaths. Following adjustment for age, a 10-unit increase in cognitive function was related to a reduced risk of death from all causes (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.75 to 0.93) and cardiovascular disease (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.95) but not from all cancers (HR 1.14; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.47) nor injury (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.81 to 1.29). Adjustment for markers of socioeconomic status in middle age resulted in marked attenuation in the magnitude of these associations and statistical significance at conventional levels was lost in all analyses.ConclusionsIn the present study, the apparent link between increased cognition and mortality was mediated by socioeconomic status.

scholarly journals Gender Differences in the Association between Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Cognitive Function in Later Life

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyoung Lyu
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. This study was aimed to explore the gender differences in the association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive function in later life. Methods. Using a nationally representative sample from the Health and Retirement Study, 5,544 females and 3,863 males were analyzed separately. Growth curve models were used to examine memory status and change in memory from 1998 to 2010. Results. The results showed that SES disadvantage in childhood was associated with lower memory at baseline controlling for adult SES and other covariates. In addition, cumulated disadvantage in SES was associated with poor memory in both genders. Statistically, the impact of cumulative SES on memory function at baseline was significantly different by gender. Discussion. These findings suggest that childhood SES has long-term effects on cognitive function among both men and women, and cumulative SES from childhood to adulthood may be more important for men than women with respect to their memory performance.

scholarly journals The long arm of childhood socioeconomic deprivation on mid- to later-life cognitive trajectories : A cross-cohort analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruby S.M. Tsang ◽  
John E.J. Gallacher ◽  
Sarah Bauermeister
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Mixed Models ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Socioeconomic Deprivation ◽  
Cognitive Ageing ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status

INTRODUCTION: Earlier studies of the effects of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on later life cognitive function consistently report a social gradient in later life cognitive function. Evidence for their effects on cognitive decline is, however, less clear. METHODS: The sample consists of 5,324 participants in the Whitehall II Study, 8,572 in the Health and Retirement Study, and 1,413 in the Kame Project, who completed self-report questionnaires on their early-life experiences and underwent repeated cognitive assessments. We characterised cognitive trajectories using latent class mixed models, and explored associations between childhood SES and latent class membership using logistic regressions. RESULTS: We identified distinct trajectories classes for all cognitive measures examined. Childhood socioeconomic deprivation was associated with an increased likelihood of being in a lower trajectory class. DISCUSSION: Our findings support the notions that cognitive ageing is a heterogeneous process and early-life circumstances may have lasting effects on cognition across the life-course. Keywords: cognitive ageing; cognitive decline; longitudinal studies; latent class mixed models; childhood socioeconomic status

Abstract 2718: Cognitive Function is Poorer in Heart Failure

Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J Pressler ◽  
Usha Subramanian ◽  
David Kareken ◽  
Susan M Perkins ◽  
Irmina Gradus-Pizlo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Psychomotor Speed ◽  
Delayed Recall ◽  
Comparison Groups

Background: Heart failure (HF) patients have been found to have cognitive deficits but studies have been limited by small samples and lack of comparison groups. Objective: To determine the types, frequency, and severity of cognitive deficits among patients (pts) with chronic HF compared to age- and education-matched healthy (HC) participants and participants with major medical conditions but not HF (MC). Methods: In this comparative study, face-to-face interviews were completed by 414 participants (249 HF pts, 63 HC, 102 MC) to assess function in cognitive domains of language, working memory, memory (verbal learning total and delayed recall), psychomotor speed, and executive function. Characteristics of HF pts were: mean age 62.9 yrs; 63% men; mean education 12.9 yrs; mean LVEF 28%; NYHA I-15%; II-34%; III-39%; IV-12%). HC and MC groups were matched on education and premorbid intellect, but HC were younger than HF and MC groups. Comparisons among the 3 groups were made using ANCOVA adjusting for intellect, age, and education. Family members of all participants were interviewed separately to validate cognitive deficits. Results: No differences were found among HF, HC and MC participants in language or working memory. In verbal learning total recall, HF pts had poorer scores than HC and MC participants (p<.0001). In delayed recall, HF pts had poorer scores than MC participants (p=.0152). In psychomotor speed, HF pts had poorer scores than HC and MC participants (p<.0001) on 1 test and poorer scores than MC (p=.0177) on the 2 nd . In executive function (verbal fluency and mental flexibility), HF pts had poorer scores than MC participants (p = .0022; p = .0428). Family member reported more difficulty in memory among HF pts (p< .0001) than HC ((p< .0001) and more negative behavior changes than HC (p=.0025) and MC participants (p=.0291). Conclusions: This carefully characterized sample of HF pts had poorer cognitive function than HC and MC participants. Domains most affected were memory, psychomotor speed processing, and executive function. Studies are needed to 1) evaluate the trajectory of cognitive function across the trajectory of HF; and 2) test novel interventions to improve cognitive function in HF.

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