Do health factors affect memory performance in old age?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of health factors on memory performance in a population-based sample of 679 older people (mean age=69.2 years).


METHODS
Both subjective and objective indices of health were used as predictor variables. Memory performance was measured with an immediate recall test and a delayed recall test.


RESULTS
Some of the objective health indices were correlated with performance on the memory tasks, but regression analysis showed that they hardly had a unique effect on memory performance.


CONCLUSIONS
Health factors have only a weak relationship with memory performance in older adults.
Jelicic
M
M
Department of Psychiatry, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.jelicic@np.unimaas.nl
Jonker
C
C
Deeg
D J
DJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged