The Impact of Physical Activity on Disability Incidence among Older Adults in Mexico and the United States

Evidence suggests that transitions among older adults towards healthy habits, such as physical activity, appear underway in developed countries such as the USA but not in developing countries such as Mexico. However, little is known about the potential benefit of physical activity in preventing disability among elders in countries at different stages of epidemiological transition. We explore the impact of physical activity on the disablement process among elders in Mexico compared to the USA. Data are from two waves of the Mexican Health and Aging Study and the Health and Retirement Study. We examine the impact of exercise on the transition from no disability to ADL limitations two years later. Findings indicate that exercise is more common in the U.S. than in Mexico. There is a positive effect of exercise on negative outcomes in both countries. However, the protective effect of exercise is stronger in the U.S. than in Mexico

Racial and ethnic differences in cognitive function among older adults in the USA

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134204/1/gps4410.pd

Household Structure as a Response to Economic Adjustments : Evidence from the 1980's Urban Mexico

Paper prepared for presentation at the Peopling of the Americas Conference, Session on Recent Changes in Family and Household Structures, 18-23 May 1992, Veracruz, Mexico

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Wisconsin (P30 HD05876) and to the Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin (P30 AG17266). 2 Context. We know precious little about adult health in developing countries in general and Latin America in particular. We know even less about the health conditions of elderly individuals. Since Mexico and many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region are and will continue to experience a very rapid process of aging, it is important to generate pertinent information and analyze it promptly to identify key features that could be used to formulate and design health policies. This is particularly useful in Mexico, and other countries of the region, which have embarked in sweeping reforms of the health sector. Objective. We aim to investigate the health profile of elderly Mexicans aged 50 and over. We are guided by two overarching concerns. First, does the health profile of elderly Mexicans reveal any special features, distinct from what one would expect from extant research on elderly individuals? Second, is there any evidence of relation

Educational Benefits and Cognitive Health Life Expectancies: Racial/Ethnic, Nativity, and Gender Disparities

Background and Objectives: To examine racial/ethnic, nativity, and gender differences in the benefits of educational attainment on cognitive life expectancies among older adults in the United States. Design and Methods: We used data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2014) to estimate Sullivan-based life tables of cognitively healthy, cognitively impaired/no dementia (CIND), and dementia life expectancies by gender for older White, Black, U.S.-born and foreign-born Hispanic adults with less than high school, high school, and some college or more. Results: White respondents lived a greater percentage of their remaining lives cognitive healthy than their minority Black or Hispanic counterparts, regardless of level of education. Among respondents with some college or more, versus less than high school, Black and U.S.-born Hispanic women exhibited the greatest increase (both 37 percentage points higher) in the proportion of total life expectancy spent cognitively healthy; whereas White women had the smallest increase (17 percentage points higher). For men, the difference between respondents with some college or more, versus less than high school, was greatest for Black men (35 percentage points higher) and was lowest for U.S.-born Hispanic men (21 percentage points higher). Discussion and Implications: Our results provide evidence that the benefits of education on cognitive life expectancies are largest for Black men and women, and U.S.-born Hispanic women. The combination of extended longevity and rising prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease point to the need for understanding why certain individuals spend an extended period of their lives with poor cognitive health

Racial/Ethnic and Nativity Differences in Cognitive Life Expectancies Among Older Adults in the United States

Background and Objectives: To document racial/ethnic and nativity differences by gender in cognitive life expectancies among older adults in the United States. Research Design and Methods: Sullivan-based life tables were used to estimate cognitively normal, cognitively impaired/ no dementia (CIND), and dementia life expectancies by gender for White, Black, U.S.-born Hispanic, and foreign-born Hispanic adults 50 years and older in the Health and Retirement Study. Results: Among women, the number of years spent living with dementia for Whites, Blacks, U.S.-born Hispanics, and foreign-born Hispanics was 1.6, 3.9, 4.7, and 6.0 years, respectively. For men, Whites lived 1.1 years with dementia compared to 3.1 years for Blacks, 3.0 years for U.S.-born Hispanics and 3.2 years for foreign-born Hispanics. Similar patterns were observed for race/ethnic and nativity differences in CIND life expectancies. Blacks and Hispanics spend a larger fraction of their remaining years with CIND and dementia relative to Whites, regardless of gender. Foreign-born Hispanic men and women and Black men are particularly disadvantaged in the proportion of years spent after age 50 with CIND and/ or dementia. Discussion and Implications: Disparities in cognitive life expectancies indicate that intervention strategies should target the specific needs of minority and immigrant older adults with dementia. Given that education is a strong predictor of cognitive health, improving access to the social and economic resources that delay dementia onset is key to improving the well-being of diverse older adults

The Elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean

Texto dispoñible en galego, español e inglésEste artigo céntrase nos perfís de saúde da poboacion máis madura e defende a hipótese de que o estado de saúde dos máis vellos viuse afectado significativamente pola evolución da mortalidade nos países da rexión. Utilizamos o SABE (Survey on Health and Well-Being of Elders) sobre unha mostra representativa do tipo cross-section de 10.000 persoas de 60 anos e máis, mediante enquisas realizadas a domicilio en sete grandes cidades de América Latina e do Caribe. Analizamos os seguintes indicadores de saúde: o estado de saúde subxectivo (baseándonos na declaración dos enquisados), as limitacións funcionais, as actividades cotiás (Activities of Daily Living -ADL-) e as actividades instrumentais cotiás (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living -IADL-), a obesidade (relación entre o peso en quilogramos e o cadrado da altura en centímetros) e as condicións crónicas segundo a declaración dos enquisados (incluíndose a diabetes). Analizamos as pautas de saúde e as condicións crónicas e de enfermidade confesadas polo entrevistado; tamén examinamos a relación entre as condicións da infancia e a saúde no adulto. En particular, pretendemos demostrar que as condicións de saúde da infancia teñen relación coa saúde na etapa adulta. Con todo, as relacións non son fortes e a evidencia é bastante feble aínda no mellor dos casosEste artículo se centra en los perfiles de salud de la poblacion más madura y defiende la hipótesis de que el estado de salud de los más viejos se ha visto afectado significativamente por la evolución de la mortalidad en los países de la región. Utilizamos el SABE (Survey on Health and Well-Being of Elders) sobre una muestra representativa del tipo cross-section de 10.000 personas de 60 años y más, mediante encuestas realizadas a domicilio en siete grandes ciudades de América Latina y del Caribe. Analizamos los siguientes indicadores de salud: el estado de salud subjetivo (basándonos en la declaración de los encuestados), las limitaciones funcionales, las actividades cotidianas (Activities of Daily Living -ADL-) y las actividades instrumentales cotidianas (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living -IADL-), la obesidad (relación entre el peso en kilogramos y el cuadrado de la altura en centímetros) y las condiciones crónicas según la declaración de los encuestados (incluyéndose la diabetes). Analizamos las pautas de salud y las condiciones crónicas y de enfermedad confesadas por el entrevistado; también examinamos la relación entre las condiciones de la infancia y la salud en el adulto. En particular, pretendemos demostrar que las condiciones de salud de la infancia tienen relación con la salud en la etapa adulta. Sin embargo, las relaciones no son fuertes y la evidencia es bastante débil aún en el mejor de los casosThis paper focuses on elderly health profiles and examines the conjecture that elderly health status has been significantly impacted by the evolution of mortality in countries of the region. We use SABE (Survey on Health and Well-Being of Elders), a cross-sectional representative sample of over 10,000 elderly aged 60 and above in private homes fielded in seven major cities in Latin America and the Caribbean. We examine the following health outcomes: self-reported health, functional limitations-Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL’s), obesity (ratio of weight in kilograms to the square of height in centimeters), and self reported chronic conditions (including diabetes). We examine patterns of self-reported health, self-reported chronic conditions, and disability. We also examine relations between early childhood conditions and adult health. In particular, we attempt to illustrate the idea that early childhood conditions and adult health are related. However, the relations are not strong and the evidence for it is weak at bestS