Life Course Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Cognitive Function Among the Elderly Population of Seven Capitals in Latin America and the Caribbean
- 1 April 2008
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Journal of Aging and Health
- Vol. 20 (3), 347-362
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264308315430
Abstract
Objectives: To examine the influence of life course socioeconomic disadvantages (SED) on cognitive function in later life. Method: Data originate from a survey of people 60 and older living in seven Latin American and Caribbean cities. Cognitive function was measured with a modified Mini-Mental State Examination and the Pfeffer Scale of Functional Capacity. Homogeneity tests were used to pool data. Associations between cognitive function and SED were evaluated, fitting logistic regressions. Results: Cognitive impairment (CI) prevalence ranged from 0.3% to 6.5% in men and 1.2% to 10.1% in women. Childhood rural living, poor childhood health, illiteracy, housewife or farmer occupation, and insufficient income were associated with CI in all seven cities. The odds of CI increase with cumulative exposure to disadvantages along life course. Conclusions: Life course SED is related to cognitive function later in life. Difficulty in properly distinguishing cognitive function from test performance remains an issue.Keywords
This publication has 27 references indexed in Scilit:
- Socioeconomic Position across the Lifecourse: How Does it Relate to Cognitive Function in Mid-life?Annals of Epidemiology, 2005
- Encuesta Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento (SABE): metodología de la encuesta y perfil de la población estudiadaRevista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 2005
- Enfermedades crónicas y limitación funcional en adultos mayores: estudio comparativo en siete ciudades de América Latina y el CaribeRevista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 2005
- Autoinforme de salud general en adultos mayores de América Latina y el Caribe: su utilidad como indicadorRevista Panamericana de Salud Pública, 2005
- Education, Occupation, and Prevalence of Dementia: Findings from the Conselice StudyDementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 2002
- Development of simple cognitive function measures in a community dwelling population of elderly in SpainInternational Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2000
- Childhood influences on adult health: a review of recent work from the British 1946 national birth cohort study, the MRC National Survey of Health and DevelopmentPaediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 1997
- Education and change in cognitive function: The Epidemiologic Catchment Area StudyAnnals of Epidemiology, 1995
- Level of education and change in cognitive function in a community population of older personsAnnals of Epidemiology, 1993
- A method for combining results from several prospective epidemiologic studiesStatistics in Medicine, 1986