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Gender differences in the association of childhood socioeconomic status and late‐life cognition among African Americans: Findings from the STAR study
Author(s) -
Barnes Lisa L,
Peterson Rachel,
George Kristen M,
Gilsanz Paola,
Mungas Dan M,
Glymour M Maria,
Mayeda Elizabeth Rose,
Whitmer Rachel A
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.045472
Subject(s) - socioeconomic status , cognition , psychology , educational attainment , developmental psychology , neuropsychology , early childhood , demography , gerontology , medicine , population , psychiatry , sociology , economics , economic growth
Background Low socioeconomic status in childhood has been linked with poor cognitive function in old age. But few studies have focused on African Americans or evaluated gender differences. We examined cross‐sectional associations of childhood socioeconomic factors with late‐life cognition and effect modification by gender. Methods Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR) participants were 722 African Americans (69% women; mean age = 68.4 and education: 60% = high school vs. < high school), as indicators of childhood SES. Linear regression models adjusted for age were used to examine childhood SES and late‐life cognition, and effect modification by gender. Results There were no gender differences in experiencing childhood hunger (p=.08), having poor family finances (p=0.30), or parental education (p=0.17). In the pooled model with women and men, higher frequency of childhood hunger was associated with worse cognition overall (β=‐0.36, 95% CI=‐0.66, ‐0.06) and in all domains (executive: β=‐0.32, 95% CI=‐0.63, ‐0.01; semantic: β=‐0.38, 95% CI=‐0.53, ‐0.23; verbal: β=‐0.42, 95% CI=‐0.73, ‐0.12). Low parental education was only associated with lower global cognition β=‐0.18, 95% CI=‐0.33, ‐0.02 and semantic memory (β=‐0.40, 95% CI=‐0.57, ‐0.23). Childhood family financial status was not associated with late‐life cognition. In gender‐stratified models, women who reported greater frequency of childhood hunger had worse cognition in every domain except semantic memory (overall: β=‐0.53, 95% CI=‐0.94, ‐0.13; executive: β=‐0.61, 95% CI=‐1.01, ‐0.20; semantic: β=‐0.21 95% CI=‐0.64, 0.21; verbal: β=‐0.46, 95% CI=‐0.87, ‐0.06). In contrast, childhood hunger was not associated with cognition in men (overall: β=‐0.14, 95% CI=‐0.59, 0.32; executive: β=0.11, 95% CI=‐0.35, 0.58; semantic: β=‐0.05 95% CI=‐0.57, 0.48; verbal: β=‐0.40, 95% CI=‐0.88, 0.08), but low parental education was associated with semantic memory (β=‐0.43, 95% CI=‐0.73, ‐0.14). Conclusion Childhood hunger is associated with worse cognition in old age, particularly among women.