Association of financial and health literacy with cognitive health in old age.
We tested the hypothesis that higher financial and health literacy is associated with better cognitive health in 755 older persons who completed a literacy measure (M = 67.9, SD = 14.5) and then had annual clinical evaluations for a mean of 3.4 years. In proportional hazards models, higher literacy was associated with decreased risk of developing incident Alzheimer's disease (n = 68) and results were similar for financial and health literacy subscales and after adjustment for potential confounders. In mixed-effects models, higher literacy was related to higher baseline level of cognition and reduced cognitive decline in multiple domains. Among the 602 persons without any cognitive impairment at baseline, higher literacy was associated with a reduced rate of cognitive decline and risk of developing incident mild cognitive impairment (n = 142). The results suggest that higher levels of financial and health literacy are associated with maintenance of cognitive health in old age.
a Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Department of Behavioral Sciences , Rush University Medical Center , Chicago , IL , USA.
Robert S
RS
Wilson
b Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurological Sciences , Rush University Medical Center , Chicago , IL , USA.
Lei
L
Yu
c Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Internal Medicine , Rush University Medical Center , Chicago , IL , USA.
Bryan D
BD
James
b Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurological Sciences , Rush University Medical Center , Chicago , IL , USA.
David A
DA
Bennett
d Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Behavioral Sciences , Rush University Medical Center , Chicago , IL , USA.
Patricia A
PA
Boyle
D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction; D003657:Decision Making; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012737:Sex Factors
Alzheimer’s disease; Financial literacy; cognitive decline; health literacy; mild cognitive impairment