Education is power: preserving cognition in the UK biobank.

Autor: Tari B; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom., Künzi M; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.; Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland., Pflanz CP; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom., Raymont V; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom., Bauermeister S; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Frontiers in public health [Front Public Health] 2023 Sep 28; Vol. 11, pp. 1244306. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Sep 28 (Print Publication: 2023).
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1244306
Abstrakt: Introduction: Dementia is a debilitating syndrome characterized by the gradual loss of memory and cognitive function. Although there are currently limited, largely symptomatic treatments for the diseases that can lead to dementia, its onset may be prevented by identifying and modifying relevant life style risk factors. Commonly described modifiable risk factors include diet, physical inactivity, and educational attainment. Importantly, however, to maximize the utility of our understanding of these risk factors, tangible and meaningful changes to policy must also be addressed.
Objectives: Here, we aim to identify the mechanism(s) by which educational attainment influences cognition.
Methods: We investigated data from 502,357 individuals ( M age  = 56.53, SD age  = 8.09, 54.40% female) from the UK Biobank cohort via Structural Equation Modelling to illustrate links between predictor variables (i.e., Townsend Deprivation Index, coastal distance, greenspace, years of education), covariates (i.e., participant age) and cognitive function as outcome variables (i.e., pairs-matching, trail-making task B, fluid intelligence).
Results: Our model demonstrated that higher education was associated with better cognitive performance (ps < 0.001), and this relationship was mediated by indices of deprivation, and coastal distance.
Conclusion: Accordingly, our model evinces the mediating effect of socioeconomic and environmental factors on the relationship between years of education and cognitive function. These results further demonstrate the utility and necessity of adapting public policy to encourage equitable access to education and other supports in deprived areas.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2023 Tari, Künzi, Pflanz, Raymont and Bauermeister.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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