Gender of Study Partners and Research Participants Associated With Differences in Study Partner Ratings of Cognition and Activity Level

Shana D Stites, Anna Gurian, Cameron Coykendall, Emily A Largent, Kristin Harkins, Jason Karlawish and Norma Coe

The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2023, vol. 78, issue 8, 1318-1329

Abstract: ObjectivesStudies of Alzheimer’s disease typically include “study partners” (SPs) who report on participants’ cognition and function. Prior studies show SP reports differ depending on the relationship between the SP and participant, that is, spouse or adult child. Adult children SPs are typically female. Could differing reports be due to gender? Knowing this may help explain variability in measurement.MethodsThe Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study enrolled a subset of participants from the Health and Retirement Study. Each participant had an SP. Bivariate and multivariable regression models compared 718 SP–participant dyads.ResultsIn analyses of 4 groups defined by SP and participant gender, dyads composed of 2 women were less likely to identify as White (75.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 70.4–80.5) than dyads composed of 2 men (93.3%, 95% CI, 81.2–97.8). In analyses adjusted for the severity of cognitive and functional impairment, women SPs rated women participants as more active than they rated men, mean 2.15 (95% CI, 2.07–2.22) versus mean 2.30 (95% CI, 2.24–2.37), respectively, on a 4-point scale. Similarly, men SPs rated women participants as more active than they rated men, mean 2.1 (95% CI, 2.0–2.2) and mean 2.4 (95% CI, 2.3–2.5), respectively. In an analysis of cognitively unimpaired participants, women SPs rated participants’ memory worse than men SPs did (p

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Alzheimer’s prevention; Gendered dyads; Study partners (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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