Life course exposure to work strain and cognitive disparities by race and ethnicity

Abstract

There is a well-documented association between exposure to occupational strain and adverse older adult cognition. However, limited research examines differences in this association by race and ethnicity despite considerable disparities in older adult cognition and occupational segregation in the U.S. Using work history data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we construct comprehensive measures of exposure to occupational strain over working ages and assess differential exposure to cumulative strain, and variation in the association between strain and cognition by race and ethnicity. We find that Black and Latino workers in the U.S. have more exposure to high strain jobs across working ages, and that this type of work history is associated with lower cognitive functioning at older ages. This analysis suggests that occupational segregation and unequal exposure to psychosocial work characteristics are critical social determinants of cognitive health disparities in older adulthood.