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(Reference retrieved automatically from SciELO through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Higher purpose in life and education were associated with better cognition among older adults

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Author(s):
Wellington Lourenço Oliveira [1] ; Ruth Caldeira de Melo ; Meire Cachioni ; Deusivania Vieira da Silva Falcão [4] ; Samila Sathler Tavares Batistoni ; Tiago Nascimento Ordonez [6] ; Anita Liberalesso Neri [7] ; Mônica Sanches Yassuda
Total Authors: 8
Affiliation:
[1] Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades. Departamento de Gerontologia - Brasil
[4] Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades. Departamento de Gerontologia - Brasil
[6] Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades. Departamento de Gerontologia - Brasil
[7] Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Ciências Médicas. Departamento de Gerontologia - Brasil
Total Affiliations: 8
Document type: Journal article
Source: Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria; v. 82, n. 3 2024-04-05.
Abstract

Abstract Background With aging, some cognitive abilities change because of neurobiological processes. Cognition may also be influenced by psychosocial aspects. Objective To describe the relationship between a measure of neuroticism, depression symptoms, purpose in life, and cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults. Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis based on the data from the second wave of the Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA) study, carried out between 2016 and 2017. The sample consisted of 419 older people (≥ 72 years old) cognitively unimpaired and mostly with low education. The variables of interest were sociodemographic, Neuroticism domain from the NEO-PI-R, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Purpose in Life (PiL) scale, and a cognitive composite score which included the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the scores for the sub-items of the Mini-Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (M-ACE), namely, Verbal Fluency (VF) – Animal, Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Episodic Memory (name and address). Results There was a greater number of women (70%), with older age (median = 80 years, IQR = 77-82), and low education (median = 4 years, IQR = 2-5). In the bivariate correlations, years of education (ρ = 0.415; p < 0.001) and PiL (ρ = 0.220; p < 0.001) were positively associated with cognition. Neuroticism (ρ = -0.175; p < 0.001) and depression symptoms (ρ = -0.185; p < 0.001) were negatively associated with cognition. In the logistic regression, after including confounding variables, the associations between cognition and PiL (OR = 2.04; p = 0.007) and education (OR = 1.32; p < 0.001) remained significant. Conclusion Low PiL and low education levels were associated with worse cognition among older adults. Such results may be of relevance in programs that aim to improve cognition among older adults. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 16/00084-8 - Longitudinal study of the Campinas and Ermelino Matarazzo cohorts of the FIBRA study: predictors and outcomes of frailty among the elderly in Brazil
Grantee:Monica Sanches Yassuda
Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants