Health Literacy and Cognitive Function among Middle-Aged Adults: The MidCog Study

Cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias have devastating consequences for affected individuals and their families, and despite no clear ways to prevent or treat them at this time, there is increasing evidence that certain lifestyle and health¬-related risk factors during midlife are likely determinants of cognitive function in later life. Our MidCog study will investigate modifiable, psychosocial factors during middle age that are under-studied in cognitive aging research (e.g. health literacy, self-management capacity, health activation), but may be effective levers for optimizing personal health and self-care, promoting appropriate healthcare use, preventing chronic conditions, improving treatment adherence and ultimately preserving later cognitive function.