Are There Specific Jobs That Increase The Risk Of Developing Dementia?

The idea is that a person needs to use their cognitive skills for the overall health of the brain. For a healthy brain, one needs to be challenged at work, where they spend most of their hours.

Dementia is a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. But, are there any specific jobs that predispose a person to dementia? According to a CNN report, a new study has found that those engaged in occupations that require them to work their brain may be able to protect their cognition, which can prevent dementia as they age.

Details About The Study

According to the study published in ‘Neurology‘, being engaged in jobs that are centered around routine, or those that do not have many daily changes, may make one susceptible to developing dementia. The CNN report stated that the per the study, having a ‘routine job’ with ‘little mental stimulation’ in your 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s is linked to a ’66 per cent higher risk of mild cognitive impairment’ and a 37 per cent greater risk of dementia after the age of 70, as compared to having a job that requires ‘high cognitive’ and ‘interpersonal’ skills.

The study’s lead author Dr Trine Edwin, a researcher at Oslo University Hospital in Norway, was quoted as telling the outlet: “Our results show the value of having an occupation that requires more complex thinking as a way to maintain memory and thinking in old age. The workplace is really important in promoting cognitive health.”

How The Study Was Conducted

The study analysed health and occupational data of 7,000 Norwegians; their lives were followed from their 30s until they retired in their 60s. Dr Edwin and her team ‘categorised the cognitive demands’ of 305 occupations in the country, and routine jobs — not classified as ‘cognitively protective’ — often included ‘repetitive manual and mental tasks’, like typical factory work and bookkeeping. “Most people in routine jobs in our sample included housekeepers, custodians, construction workers and mail carriers,” Edwin was quoted as telling CNN.

More Cognitively Demanding Jobs

More cognitively-demanding jobs revolved around ‘creative thinking’, ‘analysing information’, ‘problem-solving’ and ‘explaining ideas and information to others’. It also reportedly included interpersonal skills like ‘coaching or motivating others’. “There were lawyers, doctors, accountants, technical engineers and people in public service in this group, but the most common occupation was teaching. Teachers have a lot of interaction with students and parents and have to explain and analyse information. It’s not so routine-oriented,” the researcher said.

What Is The Connection Between Occupation And Dementia?

The researcher explained that many people in the study stayed in jobs with the ‘same degree of complexity during their working lives’, and this ‘consistency was a strength of the study’, since it allowed researchers to study the impact of a job type over time.

The idea is that a person needs to use their cognitive skills for the overall health of the brain, and that in the absence of cognitive engagement, the organ becomes vulnerable. For a healthy brain, one needs to be challenged at work, where they spend most of their hours. They should be able to take on new tasks and refine their skills throughout their life. Along with that, they must also focus on maintaining their overall health by eating nutritious meals, exercising, and getting a good amount of sleep every night.

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