Parental Education, Own Education, and Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults
In this cohort study of middle-aged and older adults across 4 countries, both higher maternal and paternal education were generally associated with slower cognitive decline, and these associations were mediated by participants' own education. These findings highlight the long-term relevance of parental education for offspring cognitive health across diverse cultural or socioeconomic contexts, and support the potential benefits of improving educational attainment to reduce intergenerational disparities in late-life cognitive health.
Authors
- Haoxiang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0361-6527)
- Wanting Hu
- David H. Rehkopf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7597-6513)
- Vivian Yawei Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9399-1808)
- Jinghua Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9571-7359)
- Weiqing Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3877-0794)
- Shengyu Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6449-1713)
Institutions
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- JAMA Network Open
- Published
- 2025-05-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.13036
- Citations
- 8
- Primary Topic
- Health disparities and outcomes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 17.34
Funders
- School of Medicine, Stanford University