Adverse childhood experiences and domain-specific cognitive function in a population-based study of older adults in rural South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Research on early life adversity and later-life cognitive function is conflicting, with little evidence from low-income settings. We investigated associations between adverse childhood experiences and cognitive function in an older population who grew up under racial segregation during South African apartheid. Data were from 1,871 adults aged 40-79 in the population-representative "Health and Ageing in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in South Africa" in 2015. The adverse childhood experiences were having a parent unemployed for > 6 months; having parents who argued or fought often; having a parent who drank excessively, used drugs, or had mental health problems; and physical abuse from parents. Executive function, language, visuospatial ability, and memory were assesse

SUBMITTER: Kobayashi LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8300534 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature