Health Disparities
The Long-Term Impact of Racial and Ethnic School Composition on Latinos’ Late-Life Cognition Sirena Gutierrez* Sirena Gutierrez Paola Gilsanz Jacqueline M. Torres
Background: The educational experiences of older Latinx individuals, shaped by a history of segregation (e.g., designated “Mexican schools” with inequitable funding, unfair language assessments), may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in dementia in the United States. The racial and ethnic composition of schools may serve as proxy for the resources available and the overall environment, influencing factors like sense of belonging and experiences of discrimination. However, data limitations have hindered research on this topic.
Methods: We used data from 314 Latinx participants of the Health and Retirement Study aged ≥ 50 years, born in the US or who migrated before the age of 6. Self-reported school racial/ethnic composition, collected in 2015-2019 was used to examine whether the number of years spent in schools with a majority White, Latinx, or Black students was associated with baseline memory function (score 0-20). Linear regression models were used, adjusting for sociodemographic variables, with sensitivity analyses additionally adjusting for educational attainment given that it may be a potential mediator.
Results: Attending a school with predominately Latinx students was not significantly associated with baseline memory function (b= -0.01 [-0.07,0.09]). Attending schools with predominately Black students was associated with lower baseline memory function (b= -0.26 [-0.52,0.00]). Conversely, attending schools with predominately White students was associated with higher baseline memory function (b= 0.09 [0.01,0.16]). After adjusting for educational attainment, results remained consistent.
Conclusion: Among older Latinx adults, the racial and ethnic composition of schools was associated with baseline memory function in qualitatively different ways. Further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings and to better understand the mechanisms (e.g., inequitable distribution of school resources) driving these potential differences.
