Siblings’ Educational Differentials and Later-Life Cognitive Health
2024
Siblings' Education and Cognitive Health in Later Life
Sample size: 3216
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Qin Yue, Engelman Michal
Primary Institution: University of Wisconsin Madison
Hypothesis
Does having more educated siblings improve cognitive health in later life?
Conclusion
Higher educational attainment among siblings is linked to better cognitive health and lower risks of cognitive impairment.
Supporting Evidence
- Higher educational attainment relative to one’s only sibling is associated with a higher TICS score.
- Having more educated siblings is linked to lower risks of cognitive impairment.
- Better educated siblings may provide protective factors for cognitive health.
Takeaway
If your siblings are smarter, it might help you think better when you get older.
Methodology
Analyzed data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study using OLS and multinomial logit regressions.
Limitations
Further research is needed to explore additional factors affecting cognitive health.
Participant Demographics
Participants were aged 79-84 years old and had at least one sibling.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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