Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that biological and social factors influence dementia risk. In healthy older women, social determinants of health such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, education, income, employment, and other health- related determinants like chronic illnesses, BMI, and depression contribute to maintenance or decline of cognitive function. To examine social and biological factors associated with cognitive variation in cognitively healthy older Panamanian women. METHOD: This longitudinal study analyzed cognitive domains at baseline (n = 357) and at a 17-month follow-up (n = 200) in women aged 60+ from the Panama Aging Research Initiative-Health Disparities (PARI-HD) study. Assessments included clinical questionnaires, physiological measures, and a neuropsychological test battery evaluating global cognition and seven cognitive domains. Multiple regression analyses assessed associations between demographic and clinical factors and baseline cognition, while repeated measures analyses examined cognitive changes over time. RESULT: Participants averaged 68.6 years of age (SD = 5.9) with 16.1 years of education (SD = 4.7). Almost half of participants (43.4%) reported subjective cognitive impairment. The total number of chronic illnesses, medications, and the prevalence of subjective cognitive decline increased at first follow-up. Age, income, and education were strongly associated with baseline cognition. Subjective cognitive impairment correlated with lower global cognition, verbal learning, and memory performance. At follow-up, only attention declined, with subjective health and depressive symptoms predicting this change. CONCLUSION: Studies have shown that in preclinical stages of AD, objective cognitive deficits are not present, nevertheless individuals may be noting subtle changes in their cognition that could be considered a risk factor of cognitive impairment. These findings contribute to understanding cognitive health in older Hispanic women and highlight sociodemographic and health-related factors linked to cognitive decline and dementia risk.
Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia
Author: Diana C Oviedo
Language: English
Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,200
OpenAlex ID: W7117237294
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