Gender of Study Partners and Research Participants Associated With Differences in Study Partner Ratings of Cognition and Activity Level

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Studies of Alzheimer’s disease typically include “study partners” (SPs) who report on participants’ cognition and function. Prior studies show SP reports differ depending on the relationship between the SP and participant, that is, spouse or adult child. Adult children SPs are typically female. Could differing reports be due to gender? Knowing this may help explain variability in measurement. Methods The Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study enrolled a subset of participants from the Health and Retirement Study. Each participant had an SP. Bivariate and multivariable regression models compared 718 SP–participant dyads. Results In analyses of 4 groups defined by SP and participant gender, dyads composed of 2 women were less likely to identify as White (75.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI], 70.4–80.5) than dyads composed of 2 men (93.3%, 95% CI, 81.2–97.8). In analyses adjusted for the severity of cognitive and functional impairment, women SPs rated women participants as more active than they rated men, mean 2.15 (95% CI, 2.07–2.22) versus mean 2.30 (95% CI, 2.24–2.37), respectively, on a 4-point scale. Similarly, men SPs rated women participants as more active than they rated men, mean 2.1 (95% CI, 2.0–2.2) and mean 2.4 (95% CI, 2.3–2.5), respectively. In an analysis of cognitively unimpaired participants, women SPs rated participants’ memory worse than men SPs did (p < .05). Discussion SP and participant gender influence SPs’ reports of another person’s cognition and activity level. Our findings expand what is understood about how nondisease factors influence measures of disease severity.