Table 3.
Cohort-Stratified Linear Mixed Modelsa Predicting Cognitive Functioning According to Educational Experiences, Weighted Estimates, Health and Retirement Study Life History Mail Survey Sample, United States, 1998–2014
| Measure | AHEAD/CODA b (n = 782) | HRS/War Babies c (n = 4,479) | Baby Boomers d (n = 4,304) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| b | 95% CI | b | 95% CI | b | 95% CI | |
| At mean agee | 24.86 | 23.57, 26.15 | 27.26 | 26.77, 27.76 | 27.62 | 27.07, 28.17 |
| Learning problem | −0.83 | −1.61, −0.05 | −0.80 | −1.15, −0.46 | −0.64 | −0.93, −0.35 |
| Reading ability compared with peersf | −0.26 | −0.55, 0.03 | −0.18 | −0.29, −0.06 | −0.16 | −0.27, −0.04 |
| Math ability compared with peersf | −0.28 | −0.56, −0.00 | −0.50 | −0.61, −0.38 | −0.39 | −0.51, −0.28 |
| Majority-minority elementary school | 0.23 | −1.38, 1.83 | −0.36 | −0.93, 0.20 | −0.64 | −1.06, −0.21 |
| Language or creative arts | 0.23 | −0.35, 0.82 | 0.39 | 0.18, 0.61 | 0.31 | 0.05,0.57 |
| High-school curriculum | ||||||
| Never attended high school | −0.83 | −2.06, 0.41 | −1.20 | −1.77, −0.63 | −0.58 | −1.45, 0.29 |
| Vocational or general education | −0.12 | −0.63, 0.39 | −0.25 | −0.45, −0.05 | −0.31 | −0.52, −0.10 |
| Lived in rural area during school | −0.44 | −0.88, 0.01 | −0.38 | −0.55, −0.21 | −0.26 | −0.45, −0.07 |
| Educational attainment | ||||||
| Less than high school | −2.87 | −3.83, −1.91 | −3.23 | −3.62, −2.84 | −3.06 | −3.60, −2.51 |
| High-school graduate or GED | −0.66 | −1.23, −0.10 | −1.45 | −1.68, −1.21 | −1.65 | −1.91, −1.39 |
| Some college | −0.17 | −0.76, 0.41 | −0.80 | −1.03, −0.57 | −0.80 | −1.03, −0.56 |
| Age, yearse | −0.25 | −0.27, −0.24 | −0.15 | −0.16, −0.14 | −0.02 | −0.04, −0.01 |
| Random intercept (at mean age) | 0.88 | 0.81, 0.96 | 0.78 | 0.74, 0.81 | 0.73 | 0.69, 0.77 |
| Within-person error | 1.04 | 1.01, 1.07 | 0.97 | 0.95, 0.98 | 0.91 | 0.89, 0.93 |
Abbreviations: AHEAD/CODA, Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old/Children of the Depression; CI, confidence interval; GED, General Educational Development; HRS, Health and Retirement Study.
a All models adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, birth cohort, proxy interview, parents’ education, number of books in house during childhood, and self-reported health in childhood. Reference groups: college preparatory coursework (high-school curriculum), college or above (educational attainment).
b AHEAD/CODA cohort born ≤1930; person-period observations = 6,625; mean number of observations = 8.5.
c HRS/War Babies cohort born 1931–1947; person-period observations = 37,363; mean number of observations = 8.3.
d Baby Boomer cohort born 1948–1959; person-period observations = 18,049; mean number of observations = 4.2.
e Age centered at mean age of cohort in years (AHEAD/CODA = 79; HRS/War Babies = 66; Boomers = 57).
f 1 = much better, 5 = much worse.