Occupational Types, Working Hours, and Cognitive Trajectories

Abstract The relationship between work and cognitive function in later years has gained attention recently. However, information on occupational types, working hours, and cognitive function based on longitudinal cohort studies from developing countries remains limited. This study utilizes data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and employs group-based trajectory modeling to depict the heterogeneous changes in cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older adults and specifically examines the associations between occupational types (agricultural work, non-agricultural employment, non-agricultural self-employed or family business), working hours, and cognitive trajectories. Our findings indicate that agricultural work is associated with poorer cognitive trajectories compared to non-agricultural employment and non-agricultural self-employed or family business. Compared to individuals working 40 hours or less per week, those working 41–55 hours had a higher likelihood of experiencing a “rapid decline” cognitive trajectory. Furthermore, working over 55 hours per week was associated with an increased likelihood of belonging to both the “rapid decline” and “persistently moderate” trajectory groups. We did not observe a significant multiplicative interaction between occupational types and working hours on the cognitive trajectories. These results enhance our understanding of the relationship between work-related factors and cognitive function, providing a scientific basis for developing targeted intervention measures in the context of developing countries.