COGNITIVE HEALTH OUTCOME DISPARITIES IN THE UNITED STATES: THE IMPACT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DIETARY HABITS

Abstract

In the United States, Black and Hispanic adults are respectively 2 and 1.5 times more likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of cognitive impairment, compared to their white counterparts. Given the well-documented racial/ ethnic disparities in the prevalence of cognitive impairment, it is essential to examine whether preventive efforts are equally effective among all gender and race/ ethnicity. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the first study examined how physical activity —across varying frequencies and intensities—affects cognitive performance over time in adults aged 50 and older and assessed these associations across gender and racial/ ethnic subgroups. The second study used combined data from core HRS survey and a cross-sectional sub-study of HRS, called HCNS (Health Care and Nutrition Mail Study) to examine the role of dietary habits on cognitive performance across different population subgroups of gender and race/ethnicity. Using combined data from HRS core survey, HCNS, and HRS genetic data, the third study examined the role of physical activity and dietary habit on the risk of onset of cognitive impairment, across different population subgroups of gender and race/ethnicity.