Toronto -- While early retirement has been linked to health benefits such as improved sleep and reduced alcohol consumption, that it may also accelerate cognitive decline in seniors.
Academics from Binghamton University in New York examined data from China鈥檚 New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) and the Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) to see how the program鈥檚 benefits affected the cognitive abilities of those aged 60 and older.
Due to its rapidly aging population and higher life expectancies, China introduced the NRPS in rural regions of the country in 2009, to deal with increasing poverty and health issues among seniors.
鈥淭he program was introduced on the basis of an economy鈥檚 needs and capacity, in particular to alleviate poverty in old age,鈥� Plamen Nikolov, assistant professor of economics at Binghamton University, explained in a press release.
Although the pension program allowed seniors in these areas to retire earlier in life, the researchers said there were 鈥渟ignificant negative effects鈥� on the cognition functioning of this group.
鈥淚ndividuals in the areas that implement the NRPS score considerably lower than individuals who live in areas that do not offer the NRPS program,鈥� Nikolov said. 鈥淥ver the almost 10 years since its implementation, the program led to a decline in cognitive performance by as high as almost a fifth of a standard deviation on the memory measures we examine.鈥�
According to the study, the largest indicator of cognitive decline in the subjects was 鈥渄elayed recall,鈥� which is widely considered an early predictor of dementia.
What鈥檚 more, the researchers found that women experienced more negative effects than men.
鈥淭he results support the mental retirement hypothesis that decreased mental activity results in the worsening of cognitive skills,鈥� Nikolov said.
The researchers said they were surprised to see their discoveries regarding NRPS were in line with the negative findings in higher-income countries, such as the U.S., England, and in the European Union.
鈥淲e were surprised to find that pension benefits and retirement actually resulted in reduced cognitive performance,鈥� Nikolov said.
As for why early retirement was linked to cognitive decline, the researchers said reduced social interactions could play a role.
鈥淪ocial engagement and connectedness may simply be the single most powerful factors for cognitive performance in old age,鈥� Nikolov said.
In a separate study, the academics said they found the introduction of pension benefits led to other positive health effects, including improved sleep and reduced alcohol consumption and smoking.
Despite these potential health benefits, the researchers said the seniors鈥� cognitive decline was a more pressing matter to address.
鈥淔or cognition among the elderly, it looks like the negative effect on social engagement far outweighed the positive effect of the program on nutrition and sleep,鈥� Nikolov said.
The researchers said they hope their findings will result in new policies that will address the problem of cognitive decline in old age during retirement.
鈥淲e show robust evidence that retirement has important benefits. But it also has considerable costs,鈥� Nikolov said. 鈥淐ognitive impairments among the elderly, even if not severely debilitating, bring about a loss of quality of life and can have negative welfare consequences.鈥�
Nikolov suggested that policymakers tailor pension programs to 鈥渂uffer鈥� the reduction of social engagement and mental activities often seen during retirement.
