Cumulative employment intensity and complexity across the life course and cognitive function in later life among European women and men.

PURPOSE

Relatively little is known about how working-age life course cumulative exposure to employment intensity and job complexity informs older-age cognitive function. We investigate these associations, separately for men and women, and net of known confounders.

METHODS

Using retrospective lifetime employment histories of Europeans born 1923-1959 (2004-2009, N = 22 266), we calculate cumulative working-age exposure to nonemployment, full-time and part-time employment, and a professional occupation. In gender-stratified linear regression models, these indicators predict cognitive function score based on the DemTect scale and Mini Mental State Exam.

RESULTS

Nonemployment ≥25% of the working life course was associated with poorer cognitive function for men by -0.43 points (95% CI = -0.79, -0.06) on a 19-point scale. Women's full-time employment, even if <25% of the working lifetime, was associated with a cognitive advantage over never-employment by 0.60 points (95% CI = 0.17, 1.02). Compared to predominantly nonprofessionally employed men, those working professionally for ≥75% of the life course had better cognition by 0.38 points (95% CI = 0.16, 0.60).

CONCLUSIONS

This paper provides novel evidence that older-age cognitive functioning is associated with cumulative exposure to both employment intensity and complexity, but that these relationships vary by sex.