Table 2.
Years of education as an effect modifier of the association between age at menopause and cognitive score at baseline and rate of change over time, HRS 2008–2020.
| Coefficients (95% Confidence Intervals) | p values | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent effects | ||
| Cognitive score at baseline: menopause at 50–55 years (reference group) | ||
| Difference compared to those with menopause <40 years (premature) | −0.130 (−0.250, −0.009) | 0.035 |
| Difference compared to those with menopause at 40–44 years (early) | −0.081 (−0.155, −0.006) | 0.034 |
| Difference compared to those with menopause at 45–49 years | −0.070 (−0.121, −0.019) | 0.008 |
| Difference compared to those with menopause >55 years (late) | 0.042 (−0.027, 0.111) | 0.234 |
| Years of education | 0.077 (0.066, 0.087) | <0.001 |
| Time since baseline, SD units/year | −0.022 (−0.027, −0.018) | <0.001 |
| Interaction effects | ||
| Time * years of education | 0.0000 (−0.001, 0.001) | 0.916 |
| Time * age at menopause (reference: 50–55 years) | ||
| Difference for those with menopause <40 years (premature) | 0.0063 (−0.006, 0.019) | 0.335 |
| Difference for those with menopause at 40–44 years (early) | −0.0033 (−0.011, 0.004) | 0.392 |
| Difference for those with menopause at 45–49 years | 0.0036 (−0.001, 0.009) | 0.160 |
| Difference for those with menopause >55 years (late) | −0.010 (−0.017, −0.002) | 0.009 |
| Years of education * age at menopause (reference: 50–55 years) | ||
| Difference for those with menopause <40 years (premature) | 0.024 (−0.010, 0.059) | 0.161 |
| Difference for those with menopause at 40–44 years (early) | 0.006 (−0.016, 0.028) | 0.605 |
| Difference for those with menopause at 45–49 years | 0.003 (−0.013, 0.019) | 0.739 |
| Difference for those with menopause >55 years (late) | −0.001 (−0.024, 0.023) | 0.942 |
| Time * years of education * age at menopause (reference: menopause at 50–55 years with median years of education at 12 years) | ||
| Difference for those with menopause <40 years (premature) and one additional year of education | −0.001 (−0.005, 0.002) | 0.427 |
| Difference for those with menopause at 40–44 years (early) and one additional year of education | −0.0003 (−0.002, 0.002) | 0.796 |
| Difference for those with menopause at 45–49 years and one additional year of education | 0.0002 (−0.001, 0.002) | 0.814 |
| Difference for those with menopause >55 years (late) and one additional year of education | 0.004 (0.001, 0.006) | 0.003 |
Note: N = 5,082. Cognition outcome was standardized according to its’ baseline distribution. A multivariable-adjusted mixed-effects linear regression model with random intercepts was used. Covariates were measured at study baseline and included age, race (white, black, or other), marital status (married, separated/divorced, widowed, or never married), total number of biological children, total number of household residents, maximum years of parental education, urbanicity (urban, suburban, or ex-urban residence), quintiles of household assets, quintiles of total annual income (respondent and spouse if married), working for pay, ever smoking, body mass index (BMI) categorized as not overweight or obese (<25.0), overweight (25.0–29.9), and obese (≥30), ever diagnosis of diabetes, and depressive symptoms measured as by the 8-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale, as well as interaction terms between years since baseline and each of the following covariates: marital status, urbanicity, smoking, and diabetes.