Migration and Cognitive Health Disparities: The Arab American and Refugee Case-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Migration and Cognitive Health Disparities: The Arab American and Refugee Case

Published:2022-09-15 Issue:1 Volume:78 Page:111-123
ISSN:1079-5014
Container-title:The Journals of Gerontology: Series B
language:en
Short-container-title:

Author:

Al-Rousan Tala¹²^ORCID,Kamalyan Lily³⁴^ORCID,Bernstein Sideman Alissa⁵⁶,Miller Bruce²⁷,AlHeresh Rawan⁸,Moore Alison⁹,Marquine María J⁹^ORCID,Argeros Grigoris¹⁰,Ajrouch Kristine J¹⁰¹¹

Affiliation:

1. Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, California , USA

2. Global Brain Health Institute, University of California , San Francisco, California , USA

3. Department of Psychiatry, HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program, University of California , San Diego, California , USA

4. San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology , San Diego, California , USA

5. Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California , San Francisco, California , USA

6. Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco, California , USA

7. Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California , San Francisco, California , USA

8. Mass General Health Institute of Health Professions , Boston, Massachusetts , USA

9. Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of California , San Diego, California , USA

10. Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, Eastern Michigan University , Ypsilanti, Michigan , USA

11. Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan , USA

Abstract

Abstract Objectives This study investigates whether the year of arrival to the United States (U.S.) and birthplace relate to postmigration cognitive difficulties among foreign- and U.S.-born Arab Americans in later life. Methods We analyzed 19 years (2000–2019) of data from the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Samples (weighted N = 393,501; ages ≥ 50 years). Cognitive difficulty was based on self-reported data, and weighted means, percentages, adjusted prevalence estimates, and adjusted odds ratio were calculated. Results Controlling only for demographics, foreign-born Arabs reported higher odds of cognitive difficulty compared to U.S.-born Arabs across all arrival cohorts (p < .001). After accounting for economic and integration factors, those who arrived between 1991 and 2000 had higher odds (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.00, 1.19, p < .01), while those who arrived after 2001 had lower odds (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.78, 0.97, p < .001) of cognitive difficulty. Lacking English proficiency (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.82, 1.98, p < .001) was related to higher odds, whereas not being a U.S. citizen was significantly associated with lower odds (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.52, 0.94, p < .001) of cognitive difficulty. Yet, results varied by birthplace. Migrants born in Iraq consistently reported the highest odds of cognitive difficulty across all arrival cohorts. Discussion Migration history and birthplace may be important factors explaining cognitive disparities among the diverse group of Arab migrants and Arab Americans. Future research examining mechanisms underlying these associations and the impact of migration on cognitive health is needed to address cognitive disparities in migrants.

Funder

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

National Institute of Aging

National Institutes of Health

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Geriatrics and Gerontology,Gerontology,Clinical Psychology,Social Psychology

Link

https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/geronb/gbac129/48415887/gbac129.pdf

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