Do pension benefits accelerate cognitive decline in late adulthood? Evidence from rural China

Plamen Nikolov and Md Shahadath Hossain

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2023, vol. 205, issue C, 594-617

Abstract: Economists have mainly focused on human capital accumulation rather than on the causes and consequences of human capital depreciation in late adulthood. To investigate how human capital depreciates over the life cycle, we examine how a newly introduced pension program, the National Rural Pension Scheme, affects cognitive performance in rural China. We find significant adverse effects of access to pension benefits on cognitive functioning among the elderly. We detect the most substantial impact of the program on delayed recall, a cognition measure linked to the onset of dementia. In terms of mechanisms, cognitive deterioration in late adulthood is mediated by a substantial reduction in social engagement, volunteering, and activities fostering mental acuity.

Keywords: Life cycle; Human capital; Cognitive functioning; Cognition; Middle-income countries; LMICs; Developing countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:205:y:2023:i:c:p:594-617

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2022.11.025

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