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How Childhood State Education Quality Shapes the Risk of Cognitive Impairment in Mid-to-Later Life
Hyungmin Cha1, Mateo P Farina2, Heide M Jackson3
1Department of Sociology and Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, Seattle.
Introduction:
Education is a key predictor of cognitive impairment, yet most research focuses on educational attainment rather than educational quality as an early-life determinant.
Methods:
We linked data from the 2000-2020 Health and Retirement Study to historical records on state public education systems. Using multinomial logistic regression, we examined whether state-level education quality in childhood-measured by funding sources and educational resources-was associated with the incidence of cognitive impairment, with or without dementia, among Black and White adults aged 55 and older.
Results:
White adults who grew up in states with more heavily state-funded education systems had an increased risk of cognitive impairment. Greater state-level educational resources were associated with a decreased risk of cognitive impairment among both White and Black adults. Associations did not differ by race.
Conclusion:
State-level educational quality is an important determinant of later-life cognitive impairment risk for White and Black adults.
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