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The worsening of brain health after retirement is real and those who face the biggest cognitive decline include white men. Black women, however, fared the best.
A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that after retirement, white adults saw a “particularly pronounced” decline in cognitive function. Men fared the worst. Meanwhile, Black participants overall showed minimal cognitive decline, with Black women having the slimmest decline of all.
“We didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t expect to see the racial gap to be that obvious. I didn’t see that coming,” said Ross Andel, lead author of the study and professor in the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University.
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Greater cognitive decline was also seen among participants who attended college, the study found.
Interestingly, people’s careers didn’t make a difference in terms of cognitive performance once they stopped working, the study found.
“While greater work complexity and higher income were related to better cognitive function at retirement, neither was significantly related to cognitive change after retirement,” the study found.
The study examined 2,226 U.S.older adults for up to 10 years.
When asked to explain the racial differences in the study’s findings, Andel said he had only theories.
“You have Black workers that may have fewer opportunities for desirable jobs. Work is not as fulfilling. It’s not their primary source of engagement and identity. They look elsewhere to realize themselves. Losing their routine at retirement doesn’t bring that much of a shock,” Andel said.
“Some Black adults have a better sense of community. They might have more proximity to children and grandchildren. They might have fulfillment and more community and slide into a role with a sense of purpose, like being grandparent,” Andel said.
Overall, the general idea of cognitive decline at retirement may stem from a lack of cognitive stimulation, he said.
“There are many theories, but there’s an idea of mental retirement. People start thinking about long vacations and relaxation and their routine and structure just goes sideways. You relax and stop doing what stimulates you. The brain preserves its resources for other things,” Andel said.
