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. 2021 Apr 27:35:100848.
doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100848. eCollection 2021 May.

The impact of COVID-19 on the well-being and cognition of older adults living in the United States and Latin America

Ganesh M Babulal  1 , Valeria L Torres  2 , Daisy Acosta  3 , Cinthya Agüero  2 , Sara Aguilar-Navarro  4 , Rebecca Amariglio  2 , Juliana Aya Ussui  2 , Ana Baena  1   5 , Yamile Bocanegra  5 , Sonia Maria Dozzi Brucki  6 , Julian Bustin  7 , Diego M Cabrera  8 , Nilton Custodio  9 , Monica M Diaz  8   10 , Lissette Duque Peñailillo  11 , Idalid Franco  2 , Jennifer R Gatchel  2 , Ana Paola Garza-Naveda  2 , Mariana González Lara  12 , Lidia Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez  4 , Edmarie Guzmán-Vélez  2 , Bernard J Hanseeuw  2   13 , Ivonne Z Jimenez-Velazquez  14 , Tomás León Rodríguez  15 , Jorge Llibre-Guerra  1 , María J Marquine  16 , Jairo Martinez  2 , Luis D Medina  17 , Claudia Miranda-Castillo  18 , Alejandra Morlett Paredes  19 , Diana Munera  2 , Alberto Nuñez-Herrera  11 , Maira Okada de Oliveira  20 , Santiago J Palmer-Cancel  21 , Enmanuelle Pardilla-Delgado  2 , Jaime Perales-Puchalt  22 , Celina Pluim  2 , Liliana Ramirez-Gomez  2 , Dorene M Rentz  2 , Claudia Rivera-Fernández  23 , Monica Rosselli  24 , Cecilia M Serrano  25 , Maria Jose Suing-Ortega  4 , Andrea Slachevsky  15 , Marcio Soto-Añari  26 , Reisa A Sperling  2 , Fernando Torrente  7 , Daniela Thumala  27 , Patrizia Vannini  2 , Clara Vila-Castelar  2 , Tatiana Yañez-Escalante  23 , Yakeel T Quiroz  2
Affiliations

The impact of COVID-19 on the well-being and cognition of older adults living in the United States and Latin America

Ganesh M Babulal et al. EClinicalMedicine. .

Abstract

Background: In the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults from vulnerable ethnoracial groups are at high risk of infection, hospitalization, and death. We aimed to explore the pandemic's impact on the well-being and cognition of older adults living in the United States (US), Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Peru.

Methods: 1,608 (646 White, 852 Latino, 77 Black, 33 Asian; 72% female) individuals from the US and four Latin American countries aged ≥ 55 years completed an online survey regarding well-being and cognition during the pandemic between May and September 2020. Outcome variables (pandemic impact, discrimination, loneliness, purpose of life, subjective cognitive concerns) were compared across four US ethnoracial groups and older adults living in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Peru.

Findings: Mean age for all participants was 66.7 (SD = 7.7) years and mean education was 15.4 (SD = 2.7) years. Compared to Whites, Latinos living in the US reported greater economic impact (p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.031); while Blacks reported experiencing discrimination more often (p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.050). Blacks and Latinos reported more positive coping (p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.040). Compared to Latinos living in the US, Latinos in Chile, Mexico, and Peru reported greater pandemic impact, Latinos in Mexico and Peru reported more positive coping, Latinos in Argentina, Mexico, and Peru had greater economic impact, and Latinos in Argentina, Chile, and Peru reported less discrimination.

Interpretation: The COVID-19 pandemic has differentially impacted the well-being of older ethnically diverse individuals in the US and Latin America. Future studies should examine how mediators like income and coping skills modify the pandemic's impact.

Funding: Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cognition; Diversity; Latin America; Older adults; US; Well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Thumala reports personal fees from National Agency for Research and Development, during the conduct of the study. Dr. Miranda-Castillo reports grants and personal fees from National Agency for Research and Development, during the conduct of the study. Dr. Gatchel reports grants from NIH/NIA, grants from Alzheimer's Association, and served as a one-time consultant with Huron Consulting, outside the submitted work. Dr. Sperling reports personal fees from Roche, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Eisai, Biogen, AC Immune, Neurocentria, Janssen, Neuraly, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Renew, JOMDD, Acumen, Prothena, Cytox, Oligomerix, Inc., and Genentech; grants from Eisai, Eli Lilly, Janssen, NIA, and Alzheimer's Association; personal fees and honorarium (consulting) for Dr. Sperling's spouse (Dr. Keith Johnson) from Novartis, AC Immune, Janssen, and Cerveau, outside the submitted work. Dr. Rentz reports consulting from Digital Cognition Technologies, Neurotrack, and Biogen Idec, outside the submitted work. All other authors have nothing to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flowchart of participants.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Associations Between Total EPII and Outcome Measures in the US participants. EPII = Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory; ECog = Everyday Cognition Scale. A) Correlation between De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and Total EPII; B) Correlation between Life Purpose Questionnaire and Total EPII; C) Correlation between Total ECog and Total EPII; D) Correlation Between Discrimination Scale and Total EPII; E) Correlation between 7-Memory Questionnaire and Total EPII.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Associations between Total EPII and outcome measures in the Latino participants, including those residing in the US and those residing in Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Peru. EPII = Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory; ECog = Everyday Cognition Scale. A) Correlation between De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and Total EPII; B) Correlation between Life Purpose Questionnaire and Total EPII; C) Correlation between Total ECog and Total EPII; D) Correlation Between Discrimination Scale and Total EPII; E) Correlation between 7-Memory Questionnaire and Total EPII.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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