Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2023 Jan 28;78(1):111-123. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbac129.
This study investigates whether the year of arrival to the United States (U.S.) and birthplace relate to postmigration cognitive difficulties among foreign- and U.S.-born Arab Americans in later life.
We analyzed 19 years (2000-2019) of data from the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples (weighted N = 393,501; ages ≥ 50 years). Cognitive difficulty was based on self-reported data, and weighted means, percentages, adjusted prevalence estimates, and adjusted odds ratio were calculated.
Controlling only for demographics, foreign-born Arabs reported higher odds of cognitive difficulty compared to U.S.-born Arabs across all arrival cohorts (p < .001). After accounting for economic and integration factors, those who arrived between 1991 and 2000 had higher odds (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.00, 1.19, p < .01), while those who arrived after 2001 had lower odds (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78, 0.97, p < .001) of cognitive difficulty. Lacking English proficiency (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.82, 1.98, p < .001) was related to higher odds, whereas not being a U.S. citizen was significantly associated with lower odds (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.52, 0.94, p < .001) of cognitive difficulty. Yet, results varied by birthplace. Migrants born in Iraq consistently reported the highest odds of cognitive difficulty across all arrival cohorts.
Migration history and birthplace may be important factors explaining cognitive disparities among the diverse group of Arab migrants and Arab Americans. Future research examining mechanisms underlying these associations and the impact of migration on cognitive health is needed to address cognitive disparities in migrants.
本研究旨在探讨美国（美国）入境年份和出生地是否与阿拉伯裔美国老年人的后移民认知困难有关。
我们分析了 19 年（2000-2019 年）的美国社区调查公共使用微数据样本（加权 N=393501；年龄≥50 岁）的数据。认知困难基于自我报告数据，计算了加权平均值、百分比、调整后的患病率估计值和调整后的优势比。
仅控制人口统计学因素，与美国出生的阿拉伯人相比，所有入境群体的外国出生的阿拉伯人报告认知困难的几率更高（p<.001）。在考虑经济和融合因素后，1991 年至 2000 年期间抵达的人有更高的几率（优势比[OR]=1.06，95%置信区间[CI]=1.00，1.19，p<.01），而 2001 年后抵达的人几率较低（OR=0.87，95%CI=0.78，0.97，p<.001）认知困难。英语水平不熟练（OR=1.90，95%CI=1.82，1.98，p<.001）与较高的几率相关，而不是美国公民与较低的几率显著相关（OR=0.89，95%CI=0.52，0.94，p<.001）认知困难。然而，结果因出生地而异。出生于伊拉克的移民在所有入境群体中报告认知困难的几率始终最高。
移民历史和出生地可能是解释阿拉伯移民和阿拉伯裔美国人之间认知差异的重要因素。未来需要研究检查这些关联背后的机制以及移民对认知健康的影响，以解决移民中的认知差距问题。
