Aim To investigate mid-life employment trajectories in relation to later-life memory function and rate of decline in rural South Africa. Methods Data from the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System were linked to the ‘Health and Ageing in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa’ (HAALSI) in rural Agincourt, South Africa (N = 3133). Employment was assessed every 4 years over 2000–12 as being employed (0, 1, 2 and ≥3 time points), being employed in a higher-skill occupation (0, 1, 2 and ≥3 time points) and dynamic employment trajectories identified using sequence analysis. Latent memory z-scores were assessed over 2014–22. Mixed-effects linear regression models were fitted to examine the associations of interest. Results Sustained mid-life employment from 2000–12 (β = 0.052, 95% CI: -0.028 to 0.132, 1 vs 0 time points; β = 0.163, 95% CI: 0.077 to 0.250, 2 vs 0 time points; β = 0.212, 95% CI: 0.128 to 0.296, ≥3 vs 0 time points) and greater time spent in a higher-skill occupation (β = 0.077, 95% CI: -0.020 to 0.175, 1 vs 0 time points; β = 0.241, 95% CI: 0.070 to 0.412, 2 vs 0 time points; β = 0.361, 95% CI: 0.201 to 0.520, ≥3 vs 0 time points) were associated with higher memory scores in 2014/15, but not subsequent rate of memory decline. Moving from a lower-skill to higher-skill occupation was associated with higher memory function, but a faster rate of decline over 2014–22. Conclusions Sustained mid-life employment, particularly in higher-skill occupations, may contribute to later-life memory function in this post-Apartheid South African setting.

中文翻译：

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南非农村地区中年就业轨迹及随后的记忆功能和下降率，2000-22

目的 调查南非农村地区中年就业轨迹与晚年记忆功能和衰退率的关系。方法 来自阿金库尔健康和社会人口监测系统的数据与南非阿金库尔农村地区 (N = 3133) 的“非洲健康与老龄化：南非 INDEPTH 社区的纵向研究”(HAALSI) 相关。2000-12年间每4年评估一次就业情况，包括就业（0、1、2和≥3个时间点）、从事高技能职业（0、1、2和≥3个时间点）和动态就业轨迹使用序列分析进行鉴定。对 2014-22 年间的潜在记忆 z 分数进行了评估。拟合混合效应线性回归模型来检查感兴趣的关联。结果 2000-12 年中年持续就业（β = 0.052，95% CI：-0.028 至 0.132，1 vs 0 时间点；β = 0.163，95% CI：0.077 至 0.250，2 vs 0 时间点；β = 0.212，95% CI：0.128 至 0.296，≥3 与 0 个时间点），并且花在较高技能职业上的时间更长（β = 0.077，95% CI：-0.020 至 0.175，1 vs 0 时间点；β = 0.241 ，95% CI：0.070 至 0.412，2 vs 0 个时间点；β = 0.361，95% CI：0.201 至 0.520，≥3 vs 0 个时间点）与 2014/15 年较高的记忆得分相关，但与随后的记忆得分率无关。记忆力下降。从低技能职业转向高技能职业与更高的记忆功能相关，但与 2014-22 年相比，下降速度更快。结论 在后种族隔离的南非环境中，持续的中年就业，特别是高技能职业，可能有助于晚年记忆功能。