Family Size Across the Life Course and Cognitive Decline in Older Mexican Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

A growing body of research has identified associations between family size and cognition in older adults. These studies largely focus on older adults' own fertility history instead of sibship size, defined as one's number of siblings. Sibship size may affect cognitive development during early childhood, creating differences that may persist into late life. Using a gendered life course framework, this study evaluates how family size across the life course (both sibship size and number of children) relates to cognitive aging among older Mexican adults.

Methods

Data come from the 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021 waves of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (n = 14,872 adults age 50+). We use latent growth curve models to evaluate how family size (sibship size and fertility

SUBMITTER: Saenz J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11974380 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature