Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28402464›Full record

ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2018

Economic Downturns, Retirement and Long-Term Cognitive Function Among Older Americans.

Philipp Hessel, Carlos J Riumallo-Herl, Anja K Leist, Lisa F Berkman, Mauricio Avendano

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The effect of tropical cyclone on cognitive function in older adults: a longitudinal study from Thailand.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2025
    Article
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  6. Age Differences in Work Stress, Exhaustion, Well-Being, and Related Factors From an Ecological Perspective.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Philipp HesselHarvard University, Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Carlos J Riumallo-HerlHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Global Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
Anja K LeistUniversity of Luxembourg, PEARL Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Inequality, Luxembourg.
Lisa F BerkmanHarvard University, Center for Population and Development Studies, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Mauricio AvendanoHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts.
Harvard Global Health Institute · USHarvard University · USKing's College London · GBUniversidad de Los Andes · COUniversity of Luxembourg · LU

Funding

From understanding to reducing health disparities: a model-based evaluationR01AG037398 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI GALAMA, TITUS JOHANNES · 2010 to 2014
$2.2M
Social protection, work and family strain: disadvantage effects in US and EuropeR01AG040248 · NIA · HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH · PI BERKMAN, LISA F · 2011 to 2015
$1.5M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG037398NIA NIH HHS R01 AG040248
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Workers approaching retirement may be particularly vulnerable to economic downturns. This study assesses whether exposure to economic downturns around retirement age leads to poorer cognitive function in later life. Method: Longitudinal data for 13,577 individuals in the Health and Retirement Study were linked to unemployment rates in state of residence. Random- and fixed-effect models were used to examine whether downturns at 55-64 years of age were associated with cognitive functioning levels and decline at ≥65 years, measured by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. Results: Longer exposure to downturns at 55-64 years of age was associated with lower levels of cognitive function at ≥65 years. Compared to individuals experiencing only up to 1 year in a downturn at 55-64 years of age, individuals experiencing two downturns at these ages had 0.09 point (95% Confidence Interval [CI, -0.17, -0.02]) lower cognitive functioning scores at ≥65 years (3 years: b = -0.17, 95%CI [-0.29, -0.06]; 4 years: b = -0.14, 95%CI [-0.25, -0.02]; ≥5 years: b = -0.22, 95%CI [-0.38, -0.06]). Downturns at 55-64 years of age were not associated with rates of cognitive decline. Discussion: Exposure to downturns around retirement is associated with a long-lasting decline in cognitive function in later life. Policies mitigating the impact of downturns on older workers may help to maintain cognitive function in later life.

Indexed as

AgedAge FactorsCognitive DysfunctionEconomic RecessionFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedRetirementUnited StatesWechsler Scales

Identifiers

PMID28402464
PMCPMC6018975
OpenAlexW2605464215

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.