The Short- and Long-Term Effects of Psychobehavioral Correlates in Buffering Diabetes-Related Cognitive Decline

Abstract

Background/Purpose: The short- and long-term impacts of behavioral and psychological factors on the diabetes and cognitive function relationship are not fully understood. This study examined levels and rates of change in age trajectories of cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults with and without diabetes who participated in different health behaviors. Methods: Participants aged 53 and above with and without diabetes were drawn from the 1999 Taiwan Longitudinal Study of Aging (N = 4076, mean age 69.3, SD = 9.1). Cognitive function was measured with the 9-item Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) in 1999, 2003, and 2007. Lifestyle and psychosocial variables were measured in 1996, 1999, and 2003 as lagged time-varying covariates in random effects model analyses. Results: Adults with diabetes had significantly lower levels of (βdiabetes = −.212, p