Cohort by Education Interactions in Longitudinal Changes in Functional Abilities

• OBJECTIVE: Investigations of cohort differences in relationships between education and health tend to focus on mortality or self-reported health. We report one of the first analyses of cohort differences in relationships between education and objective measures of functional abilities across the lifespan.METHOD: Up to 26 years of follow-up data were available from 859 adults from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. The sample was divided into two cohorts by birth year: 1900-1924 and 1925-1948. Latent growth curve models (LGCM) were compared across cohort and educational levels.RESULTS: LGCM indicated divergence between adults with lower and higher educational attainment in longitudinal trajectories of change with age in the Balance and Flexibility factors for the later born cohort only.DISCUSSION: Results support the cumulative advantage theory and suggest that education-health disparities are increasing in recent cohorts, even in counties with national health care systems and strong support of education.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

cohort differences

cumulative advantage

health disparities

latent growth curve models

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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