[Cognitive competence of older workers]

Associations between social burden, perceived stress, and diurnal cortisol profiles in older adults: implications for cognitive aging

Stress can be a risk factor for mental and physical health. We investigated the role of social burden as a potential stressor in older age and its associations with cognitive aging (i.e., within the domains inhibition and cognitive flexibility of executive functioning). Eighty-three older adults (N = 38 male, mean age = 74.0 ± 5.7 years, body-mass index = 25.5 ± 4.1 kg/m²) aged 64 years or older participated. Cognitive flexibility and inhibition were assessed by means of a Trail-Making Test (TMT) and a Stroop task. Perceived levels of social burden and perceived stress in general were assessed via standardized questionnaires. Furthermore, diurnal cortisol profiles were assessed. Overall, older participants showed lower cognitive performance than the younger (both inhibition and cognitive flexibility; p < .044). However, this association did not remain significant when adjusting for multiple comparisons. Social burden was highly correlated with perceived stress, highlighting its importance as a stressor (p < .001). Furthermore, participants who reported higher levels of perceived stress showed lower performance in the TMT as a measure for cognitive flexibility (p < .001). Moreover, social burden was associated with cognitive flexibility, which was assessed by means of the TMT (p = .031). However, this association did not remain significant when using the adjusted α-level. Furthermore, we found that total diurnal cortisol output was a mediator for the relationship between age and inhibition, which was assessed by means of a Stroop task. At last, we found that the mediating role of cortisol interacts with social burden in the way that especially in younger age, high levels of social burden are associated with higher cortisol levels and, therefore, with lower cognitive performance. We conclude that it is important to consider social burden as an additional stressor in older age which is associated with cognitive aging.

Cognitive Training Sustainably Improves Executive Functioning in Middle-Aged Industry Workers Assessed by Task Switching: A Randomized Controlled ERP Study

Recently, we reported results of a cross-sectional study investigating executive functions in dependence of aging and type of work. That study showed deficits in performance and electrophysiological activity in middle-aged workers with long-term repetitive and unchallenging work. Based on these findings, we conducted a longitudinal study that aimed at ameliorating these cognitive deficits by means of a trainer-guided cognitive training (CT) in 57 further middle-aged workers with repetitive type of work from the same factory. This study was designed as a randomized controlled trail with pre- (t1), post- (t2), and a 3-month follow-up (t3) measure. The waiting control group was trained between t2 and t3. The training lasted 3 months (20 sessions) and was evaluated with the same task switching paradigm used in the previous cross-sectional study. The CT improved performance in accuracy at the behavioral level and affected the electrophysiological correlates of retrieval of stimulus-response sets (P2), response selection (N2), and error detection (Ne), thus unveiling the neuronal background of the behavioral effects. The same training effects were observed in the waiting control group after CT at t3. Moreover, at t3, most of the behavioral and electrophysiological training-induced changes were found stable. Hence, CT appears to be an important intervention for compensating cognitive deficits in executive functions in middle-aged employees with cognitively unchallenging work.

Influence of physical and psychosocial work environment throughout life and physical and cognitive capacity in midlife on labor market attachment among older workers: study protocol for a prospective cohort study

Background

As average life span increases, elderly will account for an increasing proportion of the total population in most parts of the world. Thus, initiatives to retain older workers at the labor market are becoming increasingly important. This study will investigate the influence of physical and psychosocial work environment throughout working life and physical and cognitive capacity in midlife on labor market attachment among older workers.

Methods/Design

Approximately 5000 participants (aged 50–60 years) from the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) will be followed prospectively in a national register (DREAM), containing information on a week-to-week basis about social transfer payments for about 5 million Danish residents. Using Cox regression, we will model the risk of long-term sickness absence, disability pension, early retirement and unemployment within a 4 to 6 year period from the baseline measurement as a function of the following predictors: 1) physical work demands throughout working life, 2) psychosocial working conditions throughout working life, 3) physical capacity in midlife, 4) cognitive capacity in midlife. Estimates will be adjusted for age, sex, lifestyle, socioeconomic position, chronic disease and long-term sickness absence prior to baseline.

Discussion

The project will generate new knowledge on risk factors for loss of labor market attachment. The results will potentially contribute in identifying factors that could be targeted in future interventions for maintaining a longer and healthier working life among older workers.

Managers’ perceptions of older workers in British hotels

Purpose

– The purpose of this research paper is to identify the perceptions and stereotypical views of hotel managers to older employees in the British hotel industry, with a focus on the north of England, and to determine the equal opportunities policies and practices of hotels in relation to older workers and the types of jobs deemed suitable or not suitable for older employees.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method used in this exploratory study was a survey incorporating a postal questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to 144 hotel managers in hotels with a minimum of 20 bedrooms in the north of England. In all, 36 completed questionnaires were returned. Data were analysed using Predictive Analytics Software (PASW).

Findings

– The results of the survey clearly point to hotel managers having overwhelmingly positive views of older workers (confirming the findings of Magd's, 2003 survey), although some managers did age-stereotype certain jobs as being not suitable or suitable for older hotel workers.

Research limitations/implications

– The principal limitations concern the use of a questionnaire to measure the attitudes of hotel managers, the use of a non-probability sampling technique and the relatively small sample size.

Practical implications

– Given the UK's ageing population and labour shortages in the hotel industry, it is important that hotel managers address negative stereotypical views of older workers and the jobs deemed suitable for these workers.

Originality/value

– As the hotel industry is a major contributor to employment in the UK, a lack of empirical data on managers’ perceptions of older hotel workers is a significant omission that this paper seeks to redress.