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Abstract
Background/Study Context: Occupational activity is associated with cognitive functioning in older age. The mental exercise hypothesis attributes this association to differences in mental exercise at work.
Methods: A case-control design was used to test the mental exercise hypothesis. Primary and secondary school teachers (aged between 25.29 and 79.01 years) and non-teacher controls were matched for level of occupation, educational level, age, and gender. Regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Possible confounders (such as precareer intelligence and depressive status) were taken into account.
Results: Teachers had superior verbal fluency and working memory scanning abilities.
Conclusion: The results are in line with the mental exercise hypothesis.
Notes
Note. LE = level of education; LOA = level of occupational achievement; GIT = Groningen Intelligence Test. Depressive symptoms and anxiety levels were assessed with the depression and anxiety subscales of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90). The vocabulary subtest of the GIT was used to estimate precareer (verbal) intelligence. The MMSE was only administered to people aged 50 years or older. Alcohol use was unknown for one non-teacher control. t and χ2 tests were used to compare the means and frequencies of the demographic variables and confounders in the teacher and non-teacher control groups, respectively.
*p < .05.
Note. GIT = Groningen Intelligence Test. Depressive symptoms and anxiety levels were assessed with the depression and anxiety subscales of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90). Coding of the predictors: occupational group: 1 = teacher, 0 = non-teacher control; gender: 1 = male, 0 = female; retirement status: 1 = retired, 0 = not retired; alcohol (1–2 units): 1 = 1–2 units per day, 0 = 0 or ≥ 3 units per day; alcohol (≥3 units): 1 = ≥ 3 units per day, 0 = 0 or 1–2 units per day; smoking status: 1 = smoker, 0 = nonsmoker.
*p < .05.
Note. GIT = Groningen Intelligence Test. Coding of the predictor: occupational group: 1 = teacher, 0 = non-teacher control.
*p < .05.