THE ROLE OF PARENTAL EDUCATION AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES IN COGNITIVE FUNCTION AMONG DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS
2024

Parental Education and Cognitive Function in Older Adults

Sample size: 165 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Wright Regina

Primary Institution: University of Delaware

Hypothesis

How do parental education and adverse childhood experiences affect cognitive function among diverse older adults?

Conclusion

Higher parental education, especially maternal education, is linked to better cognitive performance in older adults.

Supporting Evidence

  • Maternal education significantly influences short-term verbal and visuospatial memory performance.
  • Paternal education is associated with long-term verbal memory performance.
  • No significant associations were found between adverse childhood experiences and cognitive performance.

Takeaway

If your parents went to school and learned a lot, it can help you think better when you get older.

Methodology

Cross-sectional analysis of cognitive function in older adults based on parental education and adverse childhood experiences.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to self-reported data and the homogeneity of the sample in terms of health status.

Limitations

The study is cross-sectional, which limits causal inferences.

Participant Demographics

Mean age of 68.48 years, 33% male, 41% African American.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p=.007, p=.003, p=.029

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1093/geroni/igae098.0888

Want to read the original?

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website

View Original Publication