Changes in cognitive function and influencing factors in older men

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the changes and influencing factors of cognitive function in older Korean males. Despite significant investigation into the decline of cognitive function in older adults, this particular population of patients has received insufficient research attention due to their unique socio-economic context. In this study, we utilized data from 1543 elderly men aged 65 and over, drawing from the 1st to 8th rounds of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) conducted between 2006 and 2020. A latent growth model was employed to estimate changes in their cognitive function. Specifically, we used an unconditional model to evaluate the pattern of cognitive changes in elderly men and a conditional model to identify the factors influencing these functional changes. Analysis showed that the cognitive function of elderly men showed an increasing rate of decline over time, thus indicating a progressively sharp reduction in the level of cognitive function. Secondly, we identified a range of factors influencing cognitive function in elderly men, including age, education, employment status and depression. In addition, we found that no independent variable influenced the linear rate of change or the quadratic rate of change rate of cognitive function in elderly men. Despite certain limitations, such as the inability to control for external impacts such as the COVID-19 pandemic and a high sample attrition rate, this study paves the way for future investigations aimed at gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of cognitive function in older Korean males and designing effective interventions.

Keywords

• cognitive function
• older adults
• depression
• public health
• ces-d (center for epidemiologic studies depression scale)