ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN DISCRIMINATION AND COGNITION AMONG INDIGENOUS, BLACK, HISPANIC, AND WHITE OLDER ADULTS
2024
Discrimination and Cognition in Older Adults
Sample size: 27327
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Whetung Cliff, Gonzales Ernest
Primary Institution: University of Minnesota, Duluth
Hypothesis
Are structural inequities and discriminatory experiences associated with racial inequities in cognitive health among older adults?
Conclusion
Indigenous older adults face significant cognitive risks due to high levels of everyday discrimination and structural inequities.
Supporting Evidence
- Everyday discrimination negatively affects cognition at baseline and over time.
- Major lifetime discrimination is linked to lower baseline cognition scores.
- Indigenous older adults report discrimination related to age, ancestry, and race.
Takeaway
Older people from Indigenous backgrounds who experience discrimination may have worse thinking skills than others.
Methodology
The study used mixed effect growth curve models to analyze 14 years of data from the Health and Retirement Study.
Participant Demographics
Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, and White older adults.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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