U.S. flag An official website of the United States government.
Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

i

Dementia and Cognitive Decline in Older Adulthood: Are Agricultural Workers at Greater Risk?



Details

  • Personal Author:
  • Description:
    Objectives: To examine whether long-term exposure to agricultural work is associated with dementia prevalence and the rate of cognitive change in older adulthood. Method: We employed data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2014). Multiple logistic regression was used to determine whether a longest-held job in the agricultural sector was associated with differences in dementia prevalence. We examined if hearing impairment, depression, and physical health indicators mediated the relationship between agricultural work and cognitive functioning. Subgroup analyses were done by age, retirement status, job tenure, and cognitive domain. We employed growth curve models to investigate implications of agricultural work on age trajectories of cognitive functioning. Results: Longest-held job in agriculture, fishing, and forestry (AFF) was associated with 46% greater odds of having dementia. The relationship between AFF exposure and cognitive functioning was not mediated by hearing impairment, depression, or physical health indicators. Results were stronger among younger and retired older adults as well as those with extensive job tenure. AFF exposure was associated with lower scores in working memory and attention and processing speed. Growth curve models indicated that while agricultural work exposure was associated with lower initial levels of cognitive functioning, over time, the pattern reversed with individuals in non-AFF jobs, showing more accelerated cognitive decline. Discussion: Consistent with European studies, results from the United States also demonstrate a higher prevalence of dementia among agricultural workers. The cognitive reserve framework may explain the seemingly paradoxical result on age patterning of cognitive performance across older adults with different work histories. [Description provided by NIOSH]
  • Subjects:
  • Keywords:
  • ISSN:
    1079-5014
  • Document Type:
    Text
  • Funding:
    Cooperative Agreement
  • Genre:
    Journal Article
  • Place as Subject:
  • CIO:
    National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
  • Topic:
    Workplace Safety & Health
  • Location:
    North America
  • Volume:
    76
  • Issue:
    8
  • NIOSHTIC Number:
    nn:20063329
  • Citation:
    J Geront, Ser B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021 Oct; 76(8):1629-1643
  • Contact Point Address:
    Kanika Arora, PhD, Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, 145 N. Riverside Drive, Room N238, Iowa City, IA 52242-2007, USA
  • Email:
    kanika-arora@uiowa.edu
  • Federal Fiscal Year:
    2022
  • NORA Priority Area:
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
  • Performing Organization:
    University of Iowa, Iowa City
  • Peer Reviewed:
    True
  • Start Date:
    20010930
  • Source Full Name:
    The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
  • End Date:
    20270929
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
    urn:sha-512:f6579f3a3abfb509b5c9b8d3d4943ac4c52d7b1d393dffabfc011ee0c5a47599713e3506fa9e4e7bfd01b42ce20255c43aecfb4b673e1b969f5324e4b5c57a72
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:
    Filetype[PDF - 837.14 KB ]
PREVIOUS
ON THIS PAGE
Details
CDC STACKS serves as an archival repository of CDC-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other public health information authored or co-authored by CDC or funded partners.

As a repository, CDC STACKS retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
BACK TO TOP