Marco Angrisani1,2, Urvashi Jain1, Jinkook Lee1,2,3. 1. Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA. 2. Department of Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA. 3. RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To document sex differences in late-life cognitive function and identify their early-life determinants among older Indian adults. DESIGN: Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD). SETTING: Individual cognitive testing in hospital or household setting across 14 states of India. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 60 years and older from LASI-DAD (2017-2019) (N = 2,704; 53.5% female). MEASUREMENTS: Given the low levels of literacy and numeracy among older Indian adults, we consider two composite cognitive scores as outcome variables. Score I is based on tests that do not require literacy or numeracy, whereas score II is based on tests that require such skills. Ordinary least squares is used to estimate models featuring a progressively increasing number of covariates. We add to the baseline specification, including a sex dummy, age, and state indicators, measures of early-life socioeconomic status (SES), early-life nutrition, as proxied by knee height, and education. RESULTS: Across most cognitive domains, women perform significantly worse than for men: -0.4 standard deviations (SD) for score I and -0.8 SD for score II. Early-life SES, health, and education explain 90% of the gap for score I and 55% for score II. Results are similar across hospital-based and home testing. CONCLUSION: In India, lower levels of early-life human capital investments in nutrition and education among women compared with men are associated with a female disadvantage in late-life cognitive health. This has important implications for public health policy, aiming at reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia-a nascent concern in India. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S20-S28, 2020.
OBJECTIVES: To document sex differences in late-life cognitive function and identify their early-life determinants among older Indian adults. DESIGN: Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI-DAD). SETTING: Individual cognitive testing in hospital or household setting across 14 states of India. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 60 years and older from LASI-DAD (2017-2019) (N = 2,704; 53.5% female). MEASUREMENTS: Given the low levels of literacy and numeracy among older Indian adults, we consider two composite cognitive scores as outcome variables. Score I is based on tests that do not require literacy or numeracy, whereas score II is based on tests that require such skills. Ordinary least squares is used to estimate models featuring a progressively increasing number of covariates. We add to the baseline specification, including a sex dummy, age, and state indicators, measures of early-life socioeconomic status (SES), early-life nutrition, as proxied by knee height, and education. RESULTS: Across most cognitive domains, women perform significantly worse than for men: -0.4 standard deviations (SD) for score I and -0.8 SD for score II. Early-life SES, health, and education explain 90% of the gap for score I and 55% for score II. Results are similar across hospital-based and home testing. CONCLUSION: In India, lower levels of early-life human capital investments in nutrition and education among women compared with men are associated with a female disadvantage in late-life cognitive health. This has important implications for public health policy, aiming at reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia-a nascent concern in India. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S20-S28, 2020.
Authors: Brenda L Plassman; Kenneth M Langa; Gwenith G Fisher; Steven G Heeringa; David R Weir; Mary Beth Ofstedal; James R Burke; Michael D Hurd; Guy G Potter; Willard L Rodgers; David C Steffens; John J McArdle; Robert J Willis; Robert B Wallace Journal: Ann Intern Med Date: 2008-03-18 Impact factor: 25.391
Authors: Murali Krishna; Eunice Beulah; Steven Jones; Rajesh Sundarachari; Saroja A; Kalyanaraman Kumaran; S C Karat; J R M Copeland; Martin Prince; Caroline Fall Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2015-12-17 Impact factor: 3.485
Authors: Juan J Llibre Rodriguez; Cleusa P Ferri; Daisy Acosta; Mariella Guerra; Yueqin Huang; K S Jacob; E S Krishnamoorthy; Aquiles Salas; Ana Luisa Sosa; Isaac Acosta; Michael E Dewey; Ciro Gaona; A T Jotheeswaran; Shuran Li; Diana Rodriguez; Guillermina Rodriguez; P Senthil Kumar; Adolfo Valhuerdi; Martin Prince Journal: Lancet Date: 2008-07-25 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Michelle M Mielke; Neelum T Aggarwal; Clara Vila-Castelar; Puja Agarwal; Eider M Arenaza-Urquijo; Benjamin Brett; Anna Brugulat-Serrat; Lyndsey E DuBose; Willem S Eikelboom; Jason Flatt; Nancy S Foldi; Sanne Franzen; Paola Gilsanz; Wei Li; Alison J McManus; Debora Melo van Lent; Sadaf Arefi Milani; C Elizabeth Shaaban; Shana D Stites; Erin Sundermann; Vidyani Suryadevara; Jean-Francoise Trani; Arlener D Turner; Jet M J Vonk; Yakeel T Quiroz; Ganesh M Babulal Journal: Alzheimers Dement Date: 2022-04-08 Impact factor: 16.655
Authors: Nana K Ayisi-Boateng; Douglas A Opoku; Phyllis Tawiah; Ruth Owusu-Antwi; Emmanuel Konadu; Georgina T Apenteng; Akye Essuman; Charles Mock; Bernard Barnie; Peter Donkor; Fred S Sarfo Journal: Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med Date: 2022-08-22