Age of Migration and Cognitive Life Expectancies among Older Latino Adults in the United States
Marc Garcia1, Wassim Tarraf2, Chi-Tsun Chiu3, Adriana Reyes4
1Syracuse University, 2Wayne State University, 3Academia Sinica, 4Cornell University
This study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998-2016) to estimate Sullivan-based life tables of cognitive life expectancies by nativity, age of migration, and sex for older Latino adults. Cognition was operationalized using the Langa-Weir classification (Normal Cognition, Cognitively Impaired but not Demented (CIND), and Demented). We test for both within-group differences (i.e., nativity and age of migration) and sex differences to explore the burden of CIND/dementia among this rapidly growing population. Our findings show foreign-born Latinos, regardless of age of migration or sex, spend a greater number of years after age 50 with CIND compared to U.S.-born Latinos. Furthermore, we document an advantage in total life expectancy and cognitively intact life expectancy among mid-life immigrant men relative to their U.S.-born counterparts. The robust relationship between nativity, age of migration, and cognitive health suggests that the foreign-born may place particularly serious burdens on families and the government.