Are people mentally degrading? Trend reversal among the baby boomers – naturopathy & naturopathic specialist portal

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The development of cognitive abilities over the generations has so far been characterized by a positive trend, which however will be broken for the first time with the generation of baby boomers, according to the results of the study by Professor Hui Zheng from Ohio State University. The study results were published in the specialist magazine “The Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences“.

Cognitive abilities always increased before

So far, the average cognitive values ​​of adults aged 50 and over have risen from generation to generation, starting with the generation born between 1890 and 1923 and ending with the generation of war-born (born 1942-1947), explains Prof. Zheng. How it behaves with the generation of baby boomers, the researcher has now examined using the data of 30,191 Americans from the “1996-2014 Health and Retirement Study”.

Baby boomers with a trend reversal

The participants aged 51 and over were interviewed and tested every two years, with cognitive tests also being part of the research. On the basis of the data analysis it became clear that the determined cognitive values ​​in the early baby boomer generation (born 1948-1953) began to decrease for the first time and decreased even further in the middle baby boomer generation (born 1954-1959).

All population groups affected

“It is shocking to see this decline in cognitive functions in the baby boomers after the test results have increased over generations,” emphasizes Prof. Zheng. It is also particularly noticeable “that this decline can be observed in all groups: in men and women, in all races and ethnic groups and across all educational, income and asset levels.”

Other research had shown that general death and disease rates among baby boomers had increased, although highly educated and wealthy individuals were mostly spared. It is particularly surprising to see “cognitive decline in all population groups” in the new study, reports Prof. Zheng. The declines were only slightly smaller among the wealthiest and most highly educated.

What is the reason for the decline?

The question that remains is what caused the baby boomers to decline in cognitive abilities. Prof. Zheng also tried to clarify this on the basis of the available data.

“The most relevant factors that could be associated with lower cognitive scores in the baby boomers in the study were lower wealth, higher levels of loneliness and Depression as well as a lack of physical activity and obesity, “reports Ohio State University in a statement on the latest study results.

Other significant factors that contributed to a decline in cognitive abilities were mental health problems and cardiovascular risk factors such as a stroke, high blood pressure, Heart disease and Diabetes. Last but not least, a celibate life was associated with lower cognitive abilities, but this was also true for people with more than one marriage in their life.

Further decline in future generations?

Professor Zheng’s concern is that the established trend will continue in the coming generations. In addition, the cognitive functions of 50 to 60 year-olds could be related to the likelihood of developing dementia in old age, so that the incidence rates in the baby boomer generation would rise. This would mean that the expected increase in dementia would be significantly higher than previously forecast. For the USA at least, the current study “indicates that things will be worse than we expected in the coming decades,” summarizes Professor Zheng. (fp)