Public Health

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Public Health
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Bilingualism typically enhances cognitive function, but Indigenous-Spanish bilingual older adults in Mexico exhibit poorer cognitive performance than monolinguals.
• Indigenous populations in Mexico face systemic inequities in education, healthcare, and discrimination, potentially impacting cognitive aging.
• The influence of education, literacy, and numeracy on cognitive disparities among Indigenous adults in Mexico remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between speaking an indigenous language and cognitive function in older Mexican adults.
• To examine the mediating roles of education, literacy, and numeracy in this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 1958 adults aged 55+ from the Mexican Health and Aging Study Ancillary Study on Cognitive Aging (Mex-Cog).
• Indigeneity defined by self-reported indigenous language use.
• Linear regression and mediation analyses were used to assess cognitive function factor scores and mediating effects.

Main Results:

• 11% of participants spoke an indigenous language, reporting lower educational attainment and higher rates of rural residence.
• Speaking an indigenous language was linked to significantly lower scores in memory, language, executive function, and orientation.
• Numeracy, literacy, and educational attainment mediated 2%-61% of the total effect of indigenous language use on cognitive function.

Conclusions:

• Educational attainment, numeracy, and literacy are crucial factors contributing to cognitive inequities in aging Indigenous populations in Mexico.
• Interventions aimed at improving numeracy and literacy, alongside education, may help reduce cognitive disparities.
• Further research is necessary to explore other potential factors like mid-life health and racism affecting cognitive outcomes.