biostudies-literatureQiu XNIEHS NIH HHS962-970https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10937330biostudies-literatureUnknown54(5)<h4>Background</h4>Early-life stressful experiences are associated with increased risk of adverse psychological outcomes in later life. However, much less is known about associations between early-life positive experiences, such as participation in cognitively stimulating activities, and late-life mental health. We investigated whether greater engagement in cognitively stimulating activities in early life is associated with lower risk of depression and anxiety in late life.<h4>Methods</h4>We surveyed former participants of the St. Louis Baby Tooth study, between 22 June 2021 and 25 March 2022 to collect information on participants' current depression/anxiety symptoms and their early-life activities (<i>N</i> = 2187 responded). A composite activity score was created to represent the early-life activity level by averaging the frequency of self-reported participation in common cognitively stimulating activities in participants' early life (age 6, 12, 18), each rated on a 1 (least frequent) to 5 (most frequent) point scale. Depression/anxiety symptoms were measured by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7). We used logistic regressions to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of outcome risk associated with frequency of early-life activity.<h4>Results</h4>Each one-point increase in the early-life composite cognitive activity score was associated with an OR of 0.54 (95% CI 0.38-0.77) for late-life depression and an OR of 0.94 (95% CI 0.61-1.43) for late-life anxiety, adjusting for age, sex, race, parental education, childhood family structure, and socioeconomic status.<h4>Conclusions</h4>More frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities during early life was associated with reduced risk of late-life depression.Psychological medicineEarly-life participation in cognitively stimulating activities and risk of depression and anxiety in late life.PMC10937330P42 ES030990R01 ES031943Qiu XMcAlaine KQuan LRobert ALMangano JWeisskopf MGfalseEarly-life participation in cognitively stimulating activities and risk of depression and anxiety in late life.<h4>Background</h4>Early-life stressful experiences are associated with increased risk of adverse psychological outcomes in later life. However, much less is known about associations between early-life positive experiences, such as participation in cognitively stimulating activities, and late-life mental health. We investigated whether greater engagement in cognitively stimulating activities in early life is associated with lower risk of depression and anxiety in late life.<h4>Methods</h4>We surveyed former participants of the St. Louis Baby Tooth study, between 22 June 2021 and 25 March 2022 to collect information on participants' current depression/anxiety symptoms and their early-life activities (<i>N</i> = 2187 responded). A composite activity score was created to represent the early-life activity level by averaging the frequency of self-reported participation in common cognitively stimulating activities in participants' early life (age 6, 12, 18), each rated on a 1 (least frequent) to 5 (most frequent) point scale. Depression/anxiety symptoms were measured by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7). We used logistic regressions to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of outcome risk associated with frequency of early-life activity.<h4>Results</h4>Each one-point increase in the early-life composite cognitive activity score was associated with an OR of 0.54 (95% CI 0.38-0.77) for late-life depression and an OR of 0.94 (95% CI 0.61-1.43) for late-life anxiety, adjusting for age, sex, race, parental education, childhood family structure, and socioeconomic status.<h4>Conclusions</h4>More frequent participation in cognitively stimulating activities during early life was associated with reduced risk of late-life depression.2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Apr2026-05-29T09:29:38.625Z2026-04-08T04:07:29.13ZS-EPMC109373303770628910.1017/S003329172300270210.1017/s0033291723002702