College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jul 27;20(15):6456. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20156456.
Understanding the intersection of age, ethnicity, and disability will become increasingly important as the global population ages and becomes more diverse. By 2060, Hispanics will comprise 28% of the U.S.
This study examines critical associations between sensory impairment, social isolation, and cognitive functioning among Hispanic older adults.
Our sample consisted of 557 Hispanic older adults that participated in Rounds 1-3 or Rounds 5-7 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study. Longitudinal mediation models across a three-year span were estimated using Mplus, with vision, hearing, and dual sensory impairments predicting cognitive functioning directly and indirectly through social isolation.
Findings indicated that cognitive functioning was concurrently and, in certain cases, longitudinally predicted by vision and dual sensory impairments and by social isolation. Contrary to expectations, vision and hearing impairments were not predictive of social isolation. Dual sensory impairment was associated with social isolation, yet no significant indirect associations were found for sensory impairments predicting cognitive functioning through social isolation.
The finding that social isolation did not mediate the relationship between sensory impairment and cognitive decline among Hispanic older adults in the U.S. is contrary to findings from other studies that were not specifically focused on this population. This finding may be evidence that culturally motivated family support and intergenerational living buffer the impact of sensory impairments in later life. Findings suggest that Hispanic older adults experiencing dual sensory impairments may benefit from interventions that foster social support and include family members.
随着全球人口老龄化和多样化程度的提高，了解年龄、族裔和残疾之间的交集将变得越来越重要。到 2060 年，西班牙裔将占美国人口的 28%。
我们的样本由 557 名参加国家健康老龄化趋势研究第 1-3 轮或第 5-7 轮的西班牙裔老年人组成。使用 Mplus 估计了跨越三年的纵向中介模型，视力、听力和双重感官障碍直接和间接通过社会隔离预测认知功能。
研究结果表明，认知功能与视力和双重感官障碍以及社会隔离同时存在，在某些情况下还具有前瞻性。与预期相反，视力和听力障碍并不能预测社会隔离。双重感官障碍与社会隔离有关，但没有发现感官障碍通过社会隔离预测认知功能的显著间接关联。
社会隔离并没有在西班牙裔美国老年人中调节感官障碍与认知能力下降之间的关系，这与其他并非专门针对这一人群的研究结果相悖。这一发现可能表明，受文化驱动的家庭支持和代际生活缓冲了晚年感官障碍的影响。研究结果表明，患有双重感官障碍的西班牙裔老年人可能受益于促进社会支持并包括家庭成员的干预措施。
