The Effects of Midlife Acute and Chronic Stressors on Black–White Differences in Cognitive Decline

Uchechi A Mitchell, Benjamin A Shaw, Jacqueline M Torres, Lauren L Brown, Lisa L Barnes and Jessica Kelley

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2023, vol. 78, issue 12, 2147-2155

Abstract: ObjectivesMidlife stressors may be particularly consequential for cognitive performance and disparities in cognitive decline. This study examined Black–White differences in trajectories of cognition among middle-aged adults and the effects of acute and chronic stressors on these trajectories.MethodsData come from 4,011 cognitively healthy individuals aged 51–64 (620 Black and 3,391 White) who participated in the 2006–2018 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Stressors included a count of recent life events and measures of financial strain and everyday discrimination. Global cognition was assessed using a modified version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Linear mixed models with random slopes and intercepts assessed change in cognition over time. Race-by-time, race-by-stressor, time-by-stressor, and race-by-stressor-by-time interactions were assessed as were quadratic terms for time and each stressor.ResultsAfter adjusting for sociodemographic, health behaviors, and health-related factors, Black respondents had lower initial cognitive performance scores (b = −1.75, p

Keywords: African Americans; Health and Retirement Study; Health Disparities; Memory; Stress process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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The Journals of Gerontology: Series B is currently edited by Psychological Sciences - S. Duke Han, PhD and Social Sciences - Jessica A Kelley, PhD, FGSA

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