Journal article
Direct and Indirect Effects of Socioeconomic Status and Discrimination on Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Longitudinal Study of African American Women
The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Vol.78(5), pp.799-808
05/2023
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbad029
PMCID: PMC10195880
PMID: 36810805
Abstract
The present study builds on recent findings suggesting that the stress of institutional and interpersonal racism may contribute to African Americans' elevated risk for dementia. We investigated the extent to which two consequences of racism - low SES and discrimination - predict self-reported cognitive decline (SCD) 19 years later. Further, we examined potential mediating pathways that might link SES and discrimination to cognitive decline. Potential mediators included depression, accelerated biological aging, and onset of chronic illnesses.
Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 293 African American women. SCD was assessed using the Everyday Cognition Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the effects of SES and racial discrimination, both measured in 2002, on SCD reported in 2021. Turning to the mediators, midlife depression was assessed in 2002, accelerated aging in 2019, and chronic illness in 2019. Age and prodrome depression were included as covariates.
There were direct effects of SES and discrimination on SCD. In addition, these two stressors showed a significant indirect effect on SCD through depression. Finally, there was evidence for a more complex pathway where SES and discrimination accelerate biological aging, with accelerated aging, in turn leading to chronic illness, which then predicted SCD.
Results of the present study add to a growing literature indicating that living in a racialized society is a central factor in explaining the high risk for dementia among Black Americans. Future research should continue to emphasize the various ways that exposure to racism over the life course effects cognition.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Direct and Indirect Effects of Socioeconomic Status and Discrimination on Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Longitudinal Study of African American Women
- Creators
- Ronald L Simons - University of GeorgiaMei Ling Ong - University of GeorgiaSteven R H Beach - University of GeorgiaMan-Kit Lei - Department of Sociology, University of Georgia.Robert Philibert - University of IowaMichelle M Mielke - Wake Forest University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Vol.78(5), pp.799-808
- DOI
- 10.1093/geronb/gbad029
- PMID
- 36810805
- PMCID
- PMC10195880
- eISSN
- 1758-5368
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000049, name: National Institute on Aging, award: RF1 AG077386
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 02/22/2023
- Date published
- 05/2023
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984375357102771
Metrics
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