Demographically adjusted normative study of everyday cognition in the ACTIVE sample

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Performance-based tests of everyday cognition are crucial for assessing functional abilities in older adults.
• Existing normative data may not adequately account for demographic variations like age, education, gender, and race.
• Understanding the relationship between cognitive performance and daily functioning is essential for interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish demographically adjusted normative data for three key performance-based tests of everyday cognition.
• To investigate the associations between performance on these tests and traditional cognitive measures.
• To explore the links between everyday cognition test scores and self-report measures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a large sample (n=2,767) of Black and White older adults (aged 65-94) from the ACTIVE baseline study.
• Employed multivariable fractional polynomial regressions to generate normative scores adjusted for age, education, gender, and race.
• Used Poisson regression to predict the number of low scores based on demographic and cognitive factors.

Main Results:

• Demographically adjusted scores were found to be independent of age, education, gender, and race.
• Higher scores in intellectual self-efficacy, immediate memory, reasoning, and vocabulary predicted fewer difficulties on everyday cognition tests.
• Increased physical health-related quality of life and daily activity limitations were associated with more difficulties.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with broader impairments on everyday cognition tests tend to exhibit more cognitive, emotional, and functional challenges.
• The three performance-based tests demonstrated reliable shared variance, suggesting a common underlying factor of everyday cognition.
• Demographically adjusted scores provide a more accurate assessment of everyday cognitive abilities, independent of demographic characteristics.