Principal Investigator: Catherine Garcia
Active Dates: 2024 – 2025
Funding Source: NIH/DHHS
Description:
To advance scientific understanding of the complex relationships between social factors, physiology, and cognitive outcomes within Latinos/Hispanics, this study will explore the magnitude and significance of the connections between Latino/Hispanic origin (e.g., ethnic origin and birthplace), educational attainment, physiological factors (e.g., cardiometabolic correlates), and cognitive function (e.g., domain-specific and global cognitive function) using data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and the Study of Latinos Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA; an ancillary study to HCHS/SOL). The study will employ multigroup structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures to assess the hypothesized pathways linking education, physiological factors, and cognitive outcomes among all Latinos/Hispanics and each Latino/Hispanic origin group. Multigroup SEM allows for the estimation of distinct parameters for each Latino/Hispanic origin group and provides comprehensive statistical tests for group comparisons. The results from this investigation can advance theoretical and methodological aspects of Latino/Hispanic aging and health and can inform the development of tailored and integrative programs and policies to delay or slow cognitive decline at various points of the life course.