Baby Boomer Generation Shows Unexpected Declines in Cognitive Function
For the first time since 1890, a generation has scored lower on tests of cognitive function than their parents' generation did, according to a recent study.
For their study, the researchers examined data from 30,191 participants in the 1996-2014 Health and Retirement Study. A 35-point cognitive battery was used to measure cognitive function, including word recall, object identification, and counting by 7s.
Scores began to decrease among early baby boomers (1948-1953) and continued to decrease in mid-baby boomers (1954-1959). This is despite scores having increased from generation to generation, starting with the greatest generation (1890-1023) and peaking among the war baby generation (1942-1947). The declines were observed across both sexes, all races and ethnicities, an across all education and income levels.
Of note, baby boomers were found to begin showing lower cognition scores earlier than other generations, starting at age 50 to 54 years. Factors associated with lower scores included lower wealth, loneliness, lack of physical activity, living without a spouse, being married more than once, cardiovascular risk factors, and psychiatric problems.
“If it weren’t for their better childhood health, move favorable family background, more years of education and higher likelihood of having a white-collar occupation, baby boomers would have even worse cognitive functioning,” author Hui Zheng, PhD, noted in an accompanying press release.
“The worsening cognitive function among baby boomers may potentially reverse past favorable trends in dementia as they reach older ages and cognitive impairment becomes more common if no effective interventions and policy responses are in place,” they concluded.
—Michael Potts
References:
- Zheng H. A new look at cohort trend and underlying mechanisms in cognitive functioning. Published online July 29, 2020. J Gerontol. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa107
- Baby boomers show concerning decline in cognitive functioning. News release. Columbus, Ohio; Ohio State University: August 3, 2020. https://news.osu.edu/baby-boomers-show-concerning-decline-in-cognitive-functioning/