Travel and mind: a bidirectional analysis of travel participation and cognitive functioning among Americans over 50

Abstract The causal relationship between travel participation and cognitive function is complex and unclear in the literature. While some suggest travel protects cognitive health (social causation), others believe cognitive decline restricts travel ability (social withdrawal). This study aims to uncover which hypothesis prevails in this association. Utilizing data from 475 Americans in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) over a 6-year period from 2006 to 2012, we conducted Cross-Lagged Panel Modeling (CLPM) to examine the reciprocal relationships between travel participation and cognitive function while adjusting for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), education, race, gender, and age. Our results show a significant positive link between travel in 2006 and cognitive function in 2012 (β = 0.091, p < .05), and a positive predictive effect of cognitive function in 2006 on travel in 2012 (β = 0.116, p < .05). Additionally, factors like education, race, and age significantly affected both cognitive function and travel participation. The study provides initial evidence for the therapeutic potential of travel as a cognitive health intervention, suggesting that engaging in travel may slow cognitive decline 6 years later. Furthermore, lower cognitive function appears to limit travel participation 6 years later. The implications of this study are significant for public health policy, gerontology, and elder care, advocating for the integration of travel into cognitive health programs and highlighting the need for tailored approaches that consider sociodemographic factors, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of quality of life among the U.S. aging population.