Citation
Martinez-Miller, Erline E.; Robinson, Whitney R.; Avery, Christy L.; Yang, Yang Claire; Haan, Mary N.; Prather, Aric A.; & Aiello, Allison E. (2020). Longitudinal Associations of US Acculturation with Cognitive Performance, Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia: The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. American Journal of Epidemiology, 189(11), 1292-1305. PMCID: PMC7604518Abstract
US Latinos, a growing, aging population, are disproportionately burdened by cognitive decline and dementia. Modifiable risk factors are needed for interventions aimed at reducing risk. Broad sociocultural context may illuminate complex etiology among culturally diverse Latinos. Among N=1,418 older, predominately Mexican-descent, low-socioeconomic Latinos in Sacramento, CA, we examined whether US acculturation was associated with cognitive performance, decline, and dementia/cognitive impairment, no dementia over 10 years, and whether education modified associations (Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging, 1998-2008). Analyses used linear mixed models, competing risk regression, and inverse-probability-censoring weights for attrition. High US acculturation participants had better cognitive performance (0.21 fewer cognitive errors at grand-mean-centered age 70) than low acculturation, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, practice effects, and survey language. Results may be driven by cultural language use rather identity factors (e.g. ethnic identity, interactions). Rate of cognitive decline and dementia/cognitive impairment, no dementia risk did not differ by acculturation, regardless of education (URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaa088Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2020Journal Title
American Journal of EpidemiologyAuthor(s)
Martinez-Miller, Erline E.Robinson, Whitney R.
Avery, Christy L.
Yang, Yang Claire
Haan, Mary N.
Prather, Aric A.
Aiello, Allison E.