Gender, Age of Migration, and Cognitive Life Expectancies Among Older Latinos: Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

2021 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures

Marc A Garcia, Wassim Tarraf, Adriana M Reyes, Chi-Tsun Chiu and Jessica Kelley

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2022, vol. 77, issue 12, e226-e233

Abstract: ObjectivesMigration and gender are important factors that differentiate the Latino immigrant experience in the United States. We investigate the association between nativity status, age of migration, and cognitive life expectancies among a nationally representative sample of Latino adults aged 50 and older to explore whether age of migration and gender influence cognitive aging across the life course.MethodsThis study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2016) to estimate Sullivan-based life tables of cognitive life expectancies by nativity, age of migration, and gender for older Latino adults. Cognitive status was based on the Langa–Weir algorithm. We test for both within-group (i.e., nativity and age of migration) and gender differences to explore the overall burden of disease among this rapidly growing population.ResultsForeign-born Latinos, regardless of age of migration or gender, spend a greater number of years after age 50 with cognitive impairment/no dementia than U.S.-born Latinos. However, the number of years spent with dementia varied by subgroup with midlife immigrant men and late-life immigrant men and women exhibiting a significant disadvantage relative to the U.S.-born. Furthermore, we document a gender disadvantage for all Latino women, regardless of immigrant status.DiscussionThe robust relationship between nativity, age of migration, and cognitive aging suggests that older foreign-born Latinos experiencing cognitive decline may place serious burdens on families. Future research should target the needs of different subgroups of older Latinos who are entering their last decades of life to develop culturally appropriate long-term care programs.

Keywords: Cognitive aging; Migration and the life course; Racial/ethnic data disaggregation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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