Study: Older people getting smarter, but not fitter

People over age 50 are scoring better on cognitive tests than people of the same age did in the past.

The trend that could be linked to higher education rates and increased use of technology in our daily lives, say International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) population researchers. Yet the study also showed that the average physical health of the older population has declined. The investigation is part of the ‘Reassessing Aging from a Population Perspective’ project, funded by the European Research Council.

The research relied on representative survey data from Germany, which measured cognitive processing speed, physical fitness and mental health in 2006 and again in 2012. It found that cognitive test scores increased significantly within the six year period for both men and women aged between 50 to 90 years. Meanwhile, physical functioning and mental health declined, especially for men aged 50-64 with a low level of education. The new study is the first to show divergent trends over time between cognitive and physical function.

Suggesting that changing lifestyles are the reason behind the trend, study author and IIASA world population programme researcher Nadia Steiber said: “Life has become cognitively more demanding, with increasing use of communication and information technology also by older people, and people working longer in intellectually demanding jobs. At the same time, we are seeing a decline in physical activity and rising levels of obesity.”

The study provides confirmation of the ‘Flynn effect’, a trend in rising performance in standard IQ tests from generation to generation. Changes in education levels in the population and the increasing use of technology, such as computer and mobile phones, can help explain such outcomes.

The researchers note that the findings apply to Germany and England, and future research may provide evidence on other countries. The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.