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Do early-life conditions explain the gender gaps in late-life cognition among older adults? Evidence from India

Lucky Singh, ICMR - National Institute of Medical Statistics
Prashant Kumar Singh, ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research

Societies with a long history of gender-based discrimination, early life conditions may explain the later-life cognition. This study examines the association between early-life circumstances and to what extent it explains the gender difference in cognitive health among older adults in India. We used nationally representative Longitudinal Aging Study in India(LASI) survey, conducted in 2017-18. The analytical sample size for this study was 40,476 individuals who were aged 50 or older at the time of the survey and did not have oblivious cognitive limitations. A composite cognitive score (CCS) was calculated by combining z-score of individual cognitive tests of verbal fluency and verbal recall, as well as forward and backward digit test. Early childhood conditions included height, parental education and residence. Result shows that cognitive function was worse among women than men. Education, followed by height substantially reduces the gender gap in cognitive function among older adults. Parental education significantly associated with cognitive function, but it did not reduce the gender gap. Interaction effect results showed better cognitive function among those older adults whose father and mother had completed secondary and higher level of education. Those older adults, whose childhood and current residence was urban, found to be improved cognitive function.

Keywords: Life course analysis, Older adults, Population ageing

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session 92. Cognitive Health and Older Adults