Citation

Li CC, Chen YF, Liang J, Matthews AK, Barnes LL. J. Aging Health 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/08982643211005905

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the joint trajectories of behavioral risk factors (smoking, alcohol drinking, and body mass index) and their associations with cognitive function trajectories among older African Americans and white Americans.

METHODS: Data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2014) were used. Group-based mixture modeling and multinomial logistic regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS: Three joint trajectories of behavioral risk factors (overweight, smoking and drinking, and drinking and overweight) and three cognitive function trajectories (low, moderate, and high) were identified. A significantly higher percentage of African Americans were in the "overweight," "smoking and drinking," and "low" cognitive functioning groups as measured by the total cognition composite score compared to white Americans. After accounting for covariates, the "drinking and overweight" group was associated with the "moderate" or "high" cognitive functioning group.

DISCUSSION: Future interventions targeting the combinations of behavioral risk factors are needed to promote healthy aging among high-risk populations.

Language: en

Keywords

trajectory; health disparities; cognitive function; behavioral risk factor