Jiyoung Lyu

Socioeconomic Status Across the Life Course and Cognitive Function Among Older Adults An Examination of the Latency, Pathways, and Accumulation Hypotheses

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between life course socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive function among older adults in the United States over a 12-year observation period. The mediation of adult SES on the association between childhood SES and cognition was examined, along with the relationship between cumulative SES and cognition. Method: Using a nationally representative sample from the Health and Retirement Study, cognitive status and change in cognition from 1998 to 2010 were examined using growth curve models. Results: The results showed that cognitive function varied within-persons and between-persons. SES disadvantage in childhood was associated with lower cognitive function at baseline. Adult SES mediated the relationship between childhood SES and cognitive function. Persons with higher cumulative SES demonstrated an advantage in cognitive function. Discussion: Childhood SES and adult SES both had relationships with cognitive status and, to a lesser degree, change in cognition in later life.

Alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment among Korean older adults: does gender matter?

BACKGROUND This study investigated gender differences in the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment among older adults in South Korea. METHODS Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing, 2,471 females and 1,657 males were analyzed separately. Cognitive impairment was measured based on the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Exam score. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognitive impairment among Korean older adults. RESULTS Multivariate analysis showed that compared to moderate drinkers, past drinkers were more likely to be cognitively impaired for women, while heavy drinkers were more likely to be cognitively impaired for men. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that the relationship between alcohol consumption and cognition varies with gender. Clinicians and service providers should consider gender differences when developing strategies for the prevention and treatment of alcohol-related cognitive decline among older adults.

Gender-Specific Incidence and Predictors of Cognitive Impairment among Older Koreans: Findings from a 6-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Objective This study investigated gender-specific incidence and predictors of cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults in South Korea. Methods Using data from the 2006 and 2012 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), 925 females and 834 males aged 65 and over without cognitive impairment at 2006 were analyzed separately. Cognitive impairment was measured based on the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Exam (K-MMSE) normative score. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) was conducted to examine the predictors of cognitive impairment at 6-year follow up. Results Incidence of cognitive impairment at 2012 was significantly higher for women (30.5%) than men (26.1%). GEE result showed that depression was significantly associated with cognitive impairment for both genders (female: OR=2.26, 95% CI=1.63–3.12; male: OR=3.26, 95% CI=2.19–4.83). Having IADL limitations (OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.03–1.28), high blood pressure (OR=1.72, 95% CI=1.27–2.34), poor hearing (OR=1.94, 95% CI=1.29–2.92), regular exercise (OR=0.67, 95% CI=0.45–0.99), and normal weight (OR=1.39, 95% CI=1.03–1.86) were significant predictors of cognitive impairment only among women. In contrast, age (OR=1.04, 95% CI=1.01–1.07) and ADL limitations (OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.21–1.82) were significant predictors of cognitive impairment at follow-up only among men. Conclusion Findings of this study show gender-specific predictors of cognitive impairment among older Koreans. This study can provide information for clinicians and policy makers to develop different intervention strategies considering gender differences in the progress of cognitive impairment.

Statistical methods used in articles published by the Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science

Purpose The purposes of this study were to assess the trend of use of statistical methods including parametric and nonparametric methods and to evaluate the use of complex statistical methodology in recent periodontal studies. Methods This study analyzed 123 articles published in the Journal of Periodontal & Implant Science (JPIS) between 2010 and 2014. Frequencies and percentages were calculated according to the number of statistical methods used, the type of statistical method applied, and the type of statistical software used. Results Most of the published articles considered (64.4%) used statistical methods. Since 2011, the percentage of JPIS articles using statistics has increased. On the basis of multiple counting, we found that the percentage of studies in JPIS using parametric methods was 61.1%. Further, complex statistical methods were applied in only 6 of the published studies (5.0%), and nonparametric statistical methods were applied in 77 of the published studies (38.9% of a total of 198 studies considered). Conclusions We found an increasing trend towards the application of statistical methods and nonparametric methods in recent periodontal studies and thus, concluded that increased use of complex statistical methodology might be preferred by the researchers in the fields of study covered by JPIS. Graphical Abstract

Gender-Specific Associations of Sensory Impairments with Depression and Cognitive Impairment in Later Life

Objective Sensory impairments, such as vision and hearing impairments, increase with age, and studies have shown that self-reported vision and hearing impairments are associated with adverse mental health outcomes in later life. Although gender differences may exist in the associations between sensory impairments and geriatric mental health outcomes, little research has been done examining gender differences in the above associations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported sensory impairments and geriatric mental health outcomes with the aim of determining whether any association differs by gender. Methods The study sample was drawn from a nationally representative data set, the 2012 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and the final sample consisted of 2,167 females and 1,664 males aged 65 and over. Self-reported sensory impairments were categorized into four groups: no sensory impairment (reference), vision impairment only, hearing impairment only, and dual sensory impairment. Depression and cognitive impairment were used as dependent variables in separate analyses. Results Adjusted for confounding variables, results from a multivariate analysis showed that vision impairment was significantly associated with depression only among women. Moreover, hearing impairment was significantly associated with cognitive impairment for women, but not for men. Having dual sensory impairment was associated with depression only among men, while having dual sensory impairment was associated with cognitive impairment only among women. Conclusion These findings suggest that the associations between sensory impairments and geriatric mental health outcomes vary according to gender. Therefore, gender-specific strategies in healthcare policies are needed.

Is Cost of Living Related to Living Alone Among Older Persons? Evidence From the Elder Economic Security Standard Index

This study examines whether the cost of living is related to the probability of living alone among unmarried persons age 65 years and older in the United States. Cost of living is measured at the metropolitan area level by the Elder Economic Security Standard Index, which takes into account geographic variability in cost of housing, food, transportation, and medical care. Using multilevel modeling, we find that higher cost of living is related to a lower likelihood of living alone net of personal resources. Results also show that the gap in the likelihood of living alone between high- and low-income older adults is slightly lessened in low-cost metropolitan areas. We conclude that the price of “purchasing privacy” is substantially higher in some metropolitan areas than in others. These findings inform policies designed to help older adults age in place.

Associations between healthy lifestyles and health outcomes among older Koreans

Healthy lifestyles have been found to be positively associated with physical and mental health outcomes in later life. Although multiple health behaviors have the potential to enhance health among older adults, little is known about a multiple behavior approach. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between multiple healthy lifestyles and health outcomes among Korean older adults.