A challenging job protects against the development of dementia

Jobs that are both challenging and afford opportunities to take responsibility seem to protect against the development of dementia, concludes research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The researchers base their findings on 221 patients with dementia (mostly Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia) and 229 healthy people from the same area, randomly selected from census registers.

The patients, who were all drawn from 23 family doctor practices in one area between 1998 and 2000, were aged between 55 and 99. The comparison group were aged between 60 and 94.

All participants were asked either directly (comparison group) or via relatives (patients) about their medical history and lifestyle, including marital status and social support network.

Information was also obtained on full employment history, with "psychosocial" job elements assigned, using a validated scoring system.

The job elements included the degree of challenge; social climate (information flow, openness of communication); degree of control (possibilities for independence and influence on working pace); workload; perceived risks for error; social demands (communication with people other than work colleagues); and supervisory support.

The results were then analysed and influential factors, such as age, history of parental dementia, educational level, accounted for.

People who had worked in jobs that had been intellectually demanding, had afforded scope for a high degree of control, and had required socialising with people other than immediate work colleagues were less likely to have dementia.

The authors conclude that job demands have a role in the development of dementia.

Contact:
Dr Andreas Seidler, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Tel: +49 69 6301 7607
Email: [email protected]

Click here to view the paper in full