Evaluation of a multidisciplinary concept of mental demands at work on cognitive functioning in old age

Abstract

Objectives

Previous work has shown that high mental demands are associated with better cognitive functioning in old age. As there is a lack of a general conceptual framework for this association, the aim of the study was to investigate how mental demands and other work-related factors relate to cognitive functioning as a foundation for developing such a framework.

Methods

An expert panel discussion was conducted with the aim of determining relevant work-related factors, which were then tested in a survey with 346 employees aged 50+ years, who were actively working. Assessment of cognitive functioning comprised complex attention, executive function, learning/memory, language, perceptual-motor, and social cognition. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to confirm factor belonging. Associations with cognitive functioning were analyzed using structure equation modelling to confirm associations and to identify additional direct and indirect paths.

Results

Only 42.3% (22/52) of the work-related factors and 19.0% (4/21) of the mediating paths suggested by the experts were significant with respect to cognitive functioning. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling indicated that high mental demands are only associated with better cognitive functioning in old age to the extent that they are intellectually stimulating and this effect is embedded in individual capacities and the social context.

Conclusion

Based on the panel discussion and the empirical testing, we propose the Conceptual Framework of Social Dependency of Intellectual Stimulation on Cognitive Health. We recommend researchers and workplace health experts to pay attention to the component of this theory when assessing workplace risk.

Keywords:

• Dementia
• Cognition
• Mental demands
• Job demands
• Work environment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) grant number TH2137/3-1, and the Hans and Ilse Breuer Foundation. The sponsors had no role in the study design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, the writing of the articles, and in the decision to submit it for publication.