Aging
Association Between Retirement and Cognitive Decline Among Older Black/African Americans: A STAR Study Nancy Chen* Nancy Chen Elizabeth Rose Mayeda Paola Gilsanz M. Maria Glymour Lisa L. Barnes Kristen George Yi Lor Claire Meunier Alexander Ivan B. Posis Rachel Whitmer
Background: Whether retirement negatively impacts cognitive decline is unclear, especially among diverse populations. We investigated this relationship in a cohort of Black/African American adults.
Methods: The Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans comprises community-dwelling Black Americans ages 50+ who are long-term Kaiser Permanente Northern California members. Verbal episodic memory (VEM) and executive function (EF) were assessed at three interview waves using the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Scales. We categorized baseline retirement status as 1) retired and 2) not retired. Participants who were retired with disabilities were excluded to reduce possible reverse causation. Linear mixed models with random intercepts and slopes estimated associations of retirement status with VEM and EF over time. All models adjusted for baseline age, gender, education, parental education, and interview mode (in-person or phone). Sensitivity analyses categorized retirement status as 1) retired before age 65, 2) retired at age 65+, and 3) not retired.
Results: Participants’ (N=552) mean age was 68.8 (SD=9) years at baseline, mean follow-up time was 2.2 (SD=0.6) years, 68% were women, 64% had <college education, 63% had a parent with <high school education, 62% were retired, 45% retired before age 65, and 17% retired at age 65+. Baseline retirement status was not associated with baseline VEM and EF scores or decline in VEM scores. Retirees had faster decline in EF than adults who were not retired (b=–0.04, 95% CI –0.09, –0.001; Figure 1). Adults who retired at 65+ had slower decline in VEM (b=0.08, 95% CI –0.01,0.16) but faster decline in EF (b=–0.07, 95% CI –0.13, –0.01) than those who retired before 65 (Figure 1). Adults who retired at 65+ had faster decline in EF than those not retired (b=–0.09, 95% CI –0.15, –0.03; Figure 1).
Conclusion: Retirement and retirement age were associated with faster decline in executive function in middle-aged and older Black adults.
