Life course linkages between enriching early-life activities and later life cognition: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.

ABSTRACT: Prior research suggests that participation in enriching early-life activities (EELAs) has long-term benefits for cognitive health and aging. This study aims to examine the life course processes underlying these associations by drawing on theoretical models from life course epidemiology. Specifically, we tested sensitive-period effects, social pathways, and selection effects as potential explanations for linkages between greater participation in EELAs and better later life cognition. We drew on data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS), which is among the longest-running cohort studies in the U.S. that has followed graduates (all identified as non-Hispanic White) from Wisconsin high schools since 1957. We used prospective measures of key variables, including information from high sch

SUBMITTER: Greenfield EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8821159 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature