Longitudinal Analysis of Social Isolation and Cognitive Functioning among Hispanic Older Adults with Sensory Impairments

Corinna Trujillo Tanner (), Jeremy Yorgason, Avalon White, Chresten Armstrong, Antonia Cash, Rebekah Case and Joshua R. Ehrlich
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Corinna Trujillo Tanner: College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Jeremy Yorgason: College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Avalon White: College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Chresten Armstrong: College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Antonia Cash: College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Rebekah Case: College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Joshua R. Ehrlich: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: Objectives: Understanding the intersection of age, ethnicity, and disability will become increasingly important as the global population ages and becomes more diverse. By 2060, Hispanics will comprise 28% of the U.S. population. This study examines critical associations between sensory impairment, social isolation, and cognitive functioning among Hispanic older adults. Methods: Our sample consisted of 557 Hispanic older adults that participated in Rounds 1–3 or Rounds 5–7 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Longitudinal mediation models across a three-year span were estimated using Mplus, with vision, hearing, and dual sensory impairments predicting cognitive functioning directly and indirectly through social isolation. Results: Findings indicated that cognitive functioning was concurrently and, in certain cases, longitudinally predicted by vision and dual sensory impairments and by social isolation. Contrary to expectations, vision and hearing impairments were not predictive of social isolation. Dual sensory impairment was associated with social isolation, yet no significant indirect associations were found for sensory impairments predicting cognitive functioning through social isolation. Discussion: The finding that social isolation did not mediate the relationship between sensory impairment and cognitive decline among Hispanic older adults in the U.S. is contrary to findings from other studies that were not specifically focused on this population. This finding may be evidence that culturally motivated family support and intergenerational living buffer the impact of sensory impairments in later life. Findings suggest that Hispanic older adults experiencing dual sensory impairments may benefit from interventions that foster social support and include family members.

Keywords: vision impairment; hearing impairment; dual sensory impairment; hispanic; older adult; cognition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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