Patterns in older adults' perceived chronic stressor types and cognitive functioning trajectories: Are perceived chronic stressors always bad?

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 2022-10, Vol.311, p.115297-115297, Article 115297
• Main Authors: Wang, Kun, Marbut, Alexander R., Suntai, Zainab, Zheng, Dianhan, Chen, Xiayu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Challenge-hindrance perspective; Cognitive functioning; Egocentric stressor; Nonegocentric stressor; Older adults
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115297

Previous studies have linked levels of perceived chronic stress to older adults' cognitive functioning, but few have focused on the impact of chronic stressor types. Thus, this study aimed to (1) identify patterns of chronic stressor types and (2) examine the effects of these patterns on cognitive functioning trajectories among older adults. Two longitudinal studies were conducted separately to test the study aims and ensure replicability across samples and time points. Both used three timepoints (Study 1: 2006, 2008, and 2010, n = 6974; Study 2: 2012, 2014, and 2016, n = 6604) collected from older Americans in the Health and Retirement Study. Participants did not overlap between the two studies. Latent class analyses were conducted to identify chronic stressor-type patterns. Latent growth curve models were used to test the effects of chronic stressor-type patterns on cognitive functioning trajectories. Three latent classes of stressor types were identified in both studies: egocentric (4.56%; 5.85%), nonegocentric (8.58%; 10.03%), and low stressor (86.86%; 84.12%). In both studies, compared to the low stressor class, the egocentric stressor class had significantly lower initial cognitive scores (B = −0.72, ρ