Association of Life Course Socioeconomic Status and Adult Height With Cognitive Capacity Among Older Adults in India and China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BackgroundCognitive ability is an important measure of intrinsic capacity. In this study, we examine the association of life course socioeconomic status (SES) and height on cognitive functioning among older adults aged 50 and above for the two middle-income countries of India and China. We further assess the age pattern of cognitive decline with measures of life course socioeconomic status. MethodsCross-sectional comparative analysis was conducted using the WHO’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) data for India and China. Multilevel mixed-effect regression analysis was used to predict the association of life course socioeconomic status, height with cognitive functioning. ResultsIn India and China, better childhood socioeconomic status measured as parental education is positively associated with cognitive functioning. The association between adult socioeconomic status and cognitive functioning was positive and highly significant. Height was significantly associated with improved cognitive functioning for India and China. Furthermore, the age-related cognitive decline was faster among older adults whose parents had no schooling, particularly the association between mother’s education and cognitive functioning is stronger in China. The cognitive decline is much faster among less-educated older adults than those with 10+ years of schooling in China. Wealthier older adults in India had higher cognitive functioning in middle age, however, wealth differences narrowed in older ages, suggesting the convergence of cognitive functioning by economic status at older ages. ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest a significant long-term impact of childhood conditions on later-life cognitive functioning in middle-income settings.