The associations between intergenerational mobility of income and cognitive function in midlife-The Young Finns Study

Amanda Nurmi¹, Teemu Vepsäläinen², Katja Pahkala³, Elina Puolakka⁴, Laura Pulkki-Råback⁵, Marko Elovainio⁶, Markus Juonala⁷, Nina Hutri⁸, Mika Kähönen⁹, Terho Lehtimäki¹⁰, Eero Jokinen², Tomi P Laitinen¹¹, Päivi Tossavainen¹², Leena Taittonen¹³, Jorma S A Viikari⁷, Olli T Raitakari¹⁴, Suvi P Rovio¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland. Electronic address: amanda.s.nurmi@utu.fi.
² Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
³ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland; Paavo Nurmi Centre, Unit for Health and Physical Activity, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
⁴ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland.
⁵ Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
⁶ Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁷ Department of Medicine, University of Turku and Division of Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
⁸ Tampere Centre for Skills Training and Simulation, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
⁹ Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
¹⁰ Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center-Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
¹¹ Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, MRC Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland and Department of Children and Adolescents, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
¹³ Department of Pediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
¹⁴ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland; Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
¹⁵ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland; Department of Public Health, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.

PMID: 40633403
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118325

Free article

The associations between intergenerational mobility of income and cognitive function in midlife-The Young Finns Study

Amanda Nurmi et al. Soc Sci Med. 2025 Oct.

Free article

. 2025 Oct:382:118325.

doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118325. Epub 2025 Jun 27.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland. Electronic address: amanda.s.nurmi@utu.fi.
² Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
³ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland; Paavo Nurmi Centre, Unit for Health and Physical Activity, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
⁴ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland.
⁵ Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
⁶ Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Research Program Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
⁷ Department of Medicine, University of Turku and Division of Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
⁸ Tampere Centre for Skills Training and Simulation, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
⁹ Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
¹⁰ Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center-Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.
¹¹ Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, MRC Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland and Department of Children and Adolescents, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
¹³ Department of Pediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
¹⁴ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland; Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
¹⁵ Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland; Department of Public Health, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland.

PMID: 40633403
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118325

Abstract

Background: Systematically high and upward mobile (lower childhood and higher adulthood) socioeconomic status (SES) has been suggested to be associated with better overall cognitive function in adulthood compared to systematically low or downward mobile (high childhood and low adulthood) SES.

Methods: Participants' SES mobility was assessed using data on childhood family income (N = 3596, age 3-18) and own adulthood income (N = 1941, age 34-49). Adulthood learning and memory, working memory, information processing, and reaction time were measured using a computerized test. Altogether, 1804 participants had data on life-course income level and cognitive function in adulthood.

Results: Compared to participants with stable high income, those with stable low, downward, or upward mobile income had worse memory and learning, and information processing. Participants with stable low or downward mobile income had worse working memory and reaction time. The results persisted after adjusting for age, sex, childhood/adulthood lifestyle, cardiovascular risk factors, and polygenic risk score for cognitive function.

Conclusions: Individuals with stable high income may have better midlife cognitive function. This finding highlights the role of life-course SES for disparities in adulthood cognitive function. Understanding the role of early-life determinants of midlife cognitive function is important, as this knowledge may be applied to the early promotion of adulthood cognitive health.

Keywords: Childhood; Cognitive function; Education; Income.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

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The associations between intergenerational mobility of income and cognitive function in midlife-The Young Finns Study

Affiliations

The associations between intergenerational mobility of income and cognitive function in midlife-The Young Finns Study

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources