A - 31 Perceived Discrimination, Socioeconomic Factors & Subjective Cognitive Decline in Ethnoracially Diverse Older Adults Living in the United States

• Published in: Archives of clinical neuropsychology 2023-10, Vol.38 (7), p.1192-1192
• Main Authors: Pugh, Erika, Martinez, Jairo, McDowell, Celina Plium, Munera, Diana, Castelar, Clara Vila, Quiroz, Yakeel T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1873-5843; 1873-5843
• DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad067.048

Abstract Objective Perceived discrimination (PD) is linked to poorer well-being and a higher risk of future cognitive decline. Higher levels of PD are frequently reported by people of color. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), the self-perceived cognitive decline, has been associated with increased risk for dementia. The present study aimed to examine the relationship among PD, race, socio-economic factors and SCD. Method A total of 870 community-dwelling older adults (mean age = 67.0, SD = 7.6; range = 55–94; 76% female) living in the United States who self-identified as Latino (n = 126), Black (n = 74), Asian (n = 33), and White (n = 637) completed an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Socio-economic factors included access to resources and resource insecurity. PD was measured with the 7-item Everyday Discrimination Scale, and SCD was measured with the Everyday Cognition scale (ECOG). Results Higher levels of PD predicted higher SCD in the entire sample (p-values 0.05). There were no significant associations between PD, socio-economic factors, race, and SCD (p-values >0.05). Conclusions Experiences of discrimination negatively impact health outcomes and risk. Our findings provide further evidence of a relationship between PD and SCD although, this relationship was not moderated by race. Future research should aim to examine the relationship between different forms of discrimination (e.g., systemic discrimination) and SCD.