Fertility History and Cognitive Function in Late Life: The Case of Mexico
Year: 2019
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Mexico is aging rapidly, which makes identification of life-course factors influencing cognition a public health priority. We evaluate how the number of children one has relates to cognition in Mexico, a rapidly aging country that experienced fertility declines across recent cohorts of older people. METHOD: We analyze older adults (age 50+, n = 11,380) from the 2015 Mexican Health and Aging Study. Respondents were categorized by number of children ever born (0-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6+). Using ordinary least squares regression, we estimate independent associations between fertility history and cognition accounting for demographic, socioeconomic, health, and psychosocial factors. RESULTS: We observed an inverse U-shaped relationship between number of children (peaking at 2-3 children) and cognitive function, regardless of gender. In regression analyses adjusted for confounding variables, having 0-1 (vs 2-3 children) was associated with poorer cognitive function only for females. Regardless of gender, having 6+ (vs 2-3 children) was associated with poorer cognitive function. These associations remained significant even after accounting for socioeconomic, health, employment, and psychosocial factors. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest fertility history may play a role in late-life cognitive health and provide evidence that both low and high fertility may relate to poorer cognitive function. We discuss differences by gender.
Language: English
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G102769902, G1583786880, Education and the Life-Course Pathways of Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Cognitive Decline in the United States and Mexico, G2623012060, Education and the Life-Course Pathways of Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, and Cognitive Decline in the United States and Mexico, G9000009850, USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health, University of Southern California Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (USC AD/ADRD RCMAR), Multidisciplinary Research Training in Gerontology
OpenAlex ID: W2991024157