Song Yixiao, Rosano Caterina, Cvejkus Ryan K, Acevedo-Fontánez Adrianna I, Zmuda Joseph M, Wheeler Victor, Catov Janet M, Miljkovic Iva
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Aug;21(8):e70547. doi: 10.1002/alz.70547.
Dementia prevalence is higher in women, in particular those of African ancestry. Reproductive health may influence dementia risk, yet data from the Caribbean are lacking. We assessed the association of reproductive health with cognition in the Tobago Women's Health Study.
This population-based study recruited middle to older aged women from the Caribbean Island of Tobago. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Seven indicators of reproductive health were collected via interviews. Multivariable regression models estimated the association between reproductive indicators and DSST score.
Among 776 women (mean age 55.8 ± 8.9 years), the mean number of live births was 2.83 ± 2.4, and 22% experienced at least one pregnancy complication. Later age at first live birth (mean age 22.7 ± 5.4 years) was significantly associated with higher DSST score (β = 0.35, p < 0.001), independent of other reproductive factors.
Older age at the time of first live birth appears protective for cognitive function among African Caribbean women.
Later age at first birth is linked to better cognitive function, independent of other reproductive, demographic, and health factors. This study provides novel insights into cognitive aging among African Caribbean women, an understudied population, addressing a critical gap in research on reproductive history and cognition. This study highlights the need for further research on the longitudinal association between reproductive history and cognition, particularly in African Caribbean women.
痴呆症在女性中更为普遍，尤其是非洲裔女性。生殖健康可能会影响痴呆症风险，但加勒比地区的数据尚缺。我们在多巴哥妇女健康研究中评估了生殖健康与认知之间的关联。
这项基于人群的研究招募了来自加勒比海岛国多巴哥的中老年女性。使用数字符号替换测验（DSST）评估认知表现。通过访谈收集了七个生殖健康指标。多变量回归模型估计了生殖指标与DSST分数之间的关联。
在776名女性（平均年龄55.8±8.9岁）中，平均活产数为2.83±2.4，22%的女性经历过至少一次妊娠并发症。首次活产年龄较大（平均年龄22.7±5.4岁）与较高的DSST分数显著相关（β=0.35，p<0.001），独立于其他生殖因素。
首次活产年龄较大似乎对非洲裔加勒比女性的认知功能具有保护作用。
首次生育年龄较大与更好的认知功能相关，独立于其他生殖、人口统计学和健康因素。本研究为非洲裔加勒比女性这一研究较少的人群的认知衰老提供了新的见解，填补了生殖史与认知研究的关键空白。本研究强调了对生殖史与认知之间纵向关联进行进一步研究的必要性，特别是在非洲裔加勒比女性中。
