Farmer Heather R, Eze Jesse, Ambroise Alexis Z, Thomas Tobin Courtney S, Wroten Elizabeth, Goldman Hava, Stokes Jeffrey E
Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
School of Education, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
Aging Ment Health. 2025 Jun;29(6):1039-1046. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2024.2434571. Epub 2024 Dec 5.
Discrimination is associated with worse cognitive outcomes, but research is urgently needed to identify modifiable psychosocial resources that may buffer the impact of discrimination on cognition. Purpose in life is one such resource associated with positive health outcomes. However, it is unclear whether purpose in life may buffer the relationship between discrimination and cognition among older adults.
We drew a sample of 22,369 adults aged 51 and older in the 2006 to 2020 waves of the nationally-representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Multilevel mixed models assessed whether (1) measures of everyday discrimination and purpose in life and (2) a purpose in life x discrimination interaction term were associated with cognition.
Discrimination was associated with poorer cognitive functioning, both on its own and when controlling for purpose in life. Likewise, purpose in life was significantly associated with better cognitive functioning, with and without controlling for discrimination. Results also indicated that purpose in life significantly moderated the association between discrimination and cognitive functioning ( = 0.05, = 0.01).
Findings underscore the importance of psychosocial resources that may serve as stress-buffering mechanisms and protect older adults' cognitive health. Future research is needed to clarify the biobehavioral mechanisms that may underlie this association.
歧视与较差的认知结果相关，但迫切需要开展研究，以确定可改变的社会心理资源，这些资源可能缓冲歧视对认知的影响。生活目的就是这样一种与积极健康结果相关的资源。然而，尚不清楚生活目的是否可能缓冲老年人中歧视与认知之间的关系。
我们从2006年至2020年具有全国代表性的健康与退休研究（HRS）的各波调查中抽取了22369名51岁及以上成年人作为样本。多级混合模型评估了：（1）日常歧视和生活目的的测量指标，以及（2）生活目的×歧视交互项是否与认知相关。
歧视与较差的认知功能相关，无论单独来看还是在控制生活目的的情况下都是如此。同样，无论是否控制歧视，生活目的都与较好的认知功能显著相关。结果还表明，生活目的显著调节了歧视与认知功能之间的关联（β = 0.05，p = 0.01）。
研究结果强调了社会心理资源作为压力缓冲机制并保护老年人认知健康的重要性。未来需要开展研究，以阐明这种关联可能潜在的生物行为机制。
