Satisfaction With Life and Risk of Dementia: Findings From the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging

Objectives Life satisfaction is increasingly viewed as an asset associated with better general health, but its association with cognitive health and risk of dementia is less examined. We tested the hypothesis that higher life satisfaction would be associated with lower risk of dementia. Methods Participants were a nationally representative sample of adults (n = 8,021; age range: 45-93 years) from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging assessed every 2 years for up to 12 years. Multilevel modeling analysis examined whether life satisfaction is associated with cognitive functioning and decline. The primary analysis used Cox regression to examine the association between baseline life satisfaction and risk of incident dementia. Results Between-person differences and within-person changes in life satisfaction were associated with cognitive functioning, but life satisfaction was unrelated to the rate of cognitive decline. Higher life satisfaction was also associated with lower risk of dementia, even after accounting for demographic factors, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular and functional risk factors, health behaviors, and social contact. Discussion Satisfaction with life may function as a positive psychological resource for maintaining cognitive functioning and protecting against the risk of dementia.

Automated summary

The study suggests that life satisfaction is related to cognitive functioning and the risk of dementia, with higher life satisfaction being associated with a lower risk of dementia.