Vásquez Elizabeth, Botoseneanu Anda, Bennett Joan M, Shaw Benjamin A
1 University at Albany, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY, USA.
2 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
J Aging Health. 2016 Dec;28(8):1382-1402. doi: 10.1177/0898264315620589. Epub 2016 Jul 8.
The objective of this study is to (a) examine racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of cognitive function and (b) evaluate the role of education and health behaviors (physical activity [PA] and smoking) as mediators of racial/ethnic differences in the rate of decline in cognitive function in older adults.
Data for this study came from the Health and Retirement Study ( n = 3,424). Hierarchical linear models were used to define the trajectory of cognitive function between 2002 and 2008. Participants were classified based on PA as non-vigorously active, intermittent vigorously active, and consistently vigorously active.
After adding education, the Hispanic's and Black's disparities in cognitive performance were slightly attenuated (Hispanics, β = -1.049, p < .001; Blacks, β = -3.397, p < .001) but were still different from Whites. Smoking was not associated with the cognition intercept or rate of decline.
We found education had a partial mediating effect on racial differences in levels of cognition but not on the rate of change over time.
本研究的目的是（a）检验认知功能轨迹中的种族/民族差异，以及（b）评估教育和健康行为（身体活动[PA]和吸烟）作为老年人认知功能下降速率的种族/民族差异中介因素的作用。
本研究的数据来自健康与退休研究（n = 3424）。使用分层线性模型来定义2002年至2008年期间的认知功能轨迹。参与者根据身体活动情况分为非剧烈活动、间歇性剧烈活动和持续剧烈活动。
加入教育因素后，西班牙裔和黑人在认知表现上的差距略有缩小（西班牙裔，β = -1.049，p <.001；黑人，β = -3.397，p <.001），但仍与白人不同。吸烟与认知截距或下降速率无关。
我们发现教育对认知水平的种族差异有部分中介作用，但对随时间的变化速率没有中介作用。
