Childhood book availability helps to preserve cognitive function in older adults with low education: Results from the NEIGE study

Yukako Tani; Tomoki Kawahara; Genichi Sugihara; Masaki Machida; Shiho Amagasa; Hiroshi Murayama; Shigeru Inoue; Takeo Fujiwara; Yugo Shobugawa

doi:10.1093/geronb/gbae052

Childhood book availability helps to preserve cognitive function in older adults with low education: Results from the NEIGE study

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2024 Apr 3:gbae052. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbae052. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yukako Tani¹, Tomoki Kawahara¹, Genichi Sugihara², Masaki Machida³, Shiho Amagasa^{3

4}, Hiroshi Murayama⁵, Shigeru Inoue³, Takeo Fujiwara¹, Yugo Shobugawa⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
² Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ Graduate School of Public Health, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan.
⁵ Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Division of International Health, Niigata University Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.

PMID: 38567641
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbae052

Abstract

Objectives: It is well-known that low educational attainment is associated with cognitive function decline in older age. Childhood book availability may help to preserve cognitive function in older adults with low education. The study objective was to examine the association between childhood book availability and cognitive function among older adults with low educational attainment, and to investigate the mediating effect of the volume of reading-related brain regions (e.g., superior temporal cortex).

Methods: A cross-sectional study of community-dwelling older Japanese adults aged 65-84 years was conducted (n=474). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Childhood book availability was assessed using a retrospective questionnaire. Brain region volume was measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Multivariate regression modeling and structural equation modeling were used for analysis.

Results: Both high educational attainment and childhood book availability were independently associated with high MMSE score. Stratification of educational level showed that childhood book availability was positively associated with MMSE score among participants with low educational attainment (coefficient=1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31 to 2.66), but not among those with moderate or high educational attainment (coefficient=-0.01, 95% CI: -1.44 to 1.42 and -1.21, 95% CI: -3.85 to 1.42, respectively). Among participants with low educational attainment, left superior temporal cortex volume mediated the association between childhood book availability and MMSE score.

Discussion: The availability of books in childhood helps to preserve cognitive function in older adults with low education via left superior temporal cortex volume. Further research is needed to replicate these findings.

Keywords: Cognition; Dementia; Life-course epidemiology; Reading ability.