Risks and protective factors for cognitive maintenance in men and women: A secondary analysis of the longitudinal SHARE data

Abstract

Objective

Maintaining good or excellent cognition is important for the autonomy and quality of life of older adults. Cognitive maintenance in later life results from the combined influence of protective and risk factors, yet broader structural contexts – such as gender, socioeconomic status (SES) and welfare regimes – may also play a crucial role. However, no study has comprehensively assessed how individual and structural factors interact to influence cognitive maintenance in older adults. This study evaluates the relative contributions of sociodemographic factors, dementia risks and protective factors, SES and welfare type to cognitive maintenance in older men and women over a four-year follow-up.

Study design

We conducted a secondary analysis of the longitudinal data from waves 5 and 7 (2013–2017) of the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE).

Methods

Cognitive maintenance was operationalized as stable good delayed recall performance over four years. A series of multilevel logistic regression models was constructed, with a country of residence included as a random effect. Analyses were stratified by gender and welfare regime to examine contextual differences.

Results

Age and SES emerged as the strongest predictors of cognitive maintenance in both genders, with a steeper SES gradient among women. The country of residence was the next most important predictor, while individual risk and protective factors contributed relatively less to the probability of cognitive maintenance. Stratification by welfare type revealed differences in cognitive maintenance prevalence, particularly in corporative and socio-democratic welfare regimes.

Conclusion

Population-level interventions aimed at reducing social inequalities, promoting inclusion and addressing gender disparities should be central to cognitive health promotion strategies. Further research is needed to identify the active components of different welfare models that support cognitive maintenance, particularly in so-called corporative and socio-democratic countries.