Dataset Information

Relation of Literacy and Music Literacy to Dementia in Older Black and White Brazilians.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Literacy is more consistently reported than education as protective against dementia in developing regions.

Objective

To study the association of verbal literacy, numeracy, and music literacy with dementia in older Black and White Brazilians with a broad spectrum of education.

Methods

We studied 1,818 Black, Mixed-race, and White deceased Brazilians 65 years or older at death (mean = 79.64). Data were retrospectively obtained within 36 hours after death in a face-to-face interview with an informant, usually a family member. Dementia was classified using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale. Three forms of literacy were ascertained: verbal literacy (10 questions: reading and writing), numeracy (3 questions: multiplication, percentages, and use of a calculator), and music literacy (1 question: reading music). Black (11%) and Mixed-race (23%) older adults were combined in analyses. Models adjusted for age and sex.

Results

Dementia was identified in 531 people. Participants had 0 to 25 years of education (median = 4). More literacy was associated with lower odds of dementia (all p≤0.039). Participants that read music had about half the odds of having dementia. Participants in the highest quartile of numeracy and verbal literacy had respectively 27%and 15%lower odds of having dementia compared to the lowest quartile. Literacy was lower in Blacks (p < 0.001, except music p = 0.894) but the effect of literacy on dementia was similar (interaction p > 0.237). In secondary analyses, playing instruments without reading music was not associated with dementia (p = 0.887).

Conclusion

In a large sample of Brazilians, verbal literacy, numeracy, and music literacy were associated with lower odds of dementia. The effect was similar across races.

SUBMITTER: Capuano AW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9036833 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Relation of Literacy and Music Literacy to Dementia in Older Black and White Brazilians.

Capuano Ana W AW Wilson Robert S RS Leurgans Sue E SE Sampaio Carolina C Farfel Jose M JM Barnes Lisa L LL Bennett David A DA

Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD 20210101 2

<h4>Background</h4>Literacy is more consistently reported than education as protective against dementia in developing regions.<h4>Objective</h4>To study the association of verbal literacy, numeracy, and music literacy with dementia in older Black and White Brazilians with a broad spectrum of education.<h4>Methods</h4>We studied 1,818 Black, Mixed-race, and White deceased Brazilians 65 years or older at death (mean = 79.64). Data were retrospectively obtained within 36 hours after death in a face ...[more]

PMID: 34569951

Similar Datasets

Project description:ImportanceHigher educational attainment is associated with reduced dementia risk, but the role of educational quality is understudied, presenting a major evidence gap, especially as it may contribute to racial inequities.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between state-level educational quality during childhood and dementia risk.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study analyzed longitudinal data collected from January 1, 1997, through December 31, 2019 (23-year follow-up period). The sample comprised members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), a large integrated health care delivery system, who completed an optional survey during 1964-1972. Eligible individuals were US born; non-Hispanic Black or non-Hispanic White; aged 65 years or older as of January 1, 1996; were still alive; and did not have a dementia diagnosis or lapse in KPNC membership greater than 90 days between January 1 and December 31, 1996.ExposuresHistorical state-level administrative indicators of school quality (school term length, student-teacher ratio, and attendance rates) linked to participants using birth state and birth year (with a 6-year lag) and divided into tertiles using the pooled sample.Main outcomes and measuresDementia diagnoses from electronic health records between 1997 and 2019 were analyzed between March 1 and August 31, 2022. The associations of educational quality with incident dementia were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.ResultsAmong 21 450 KPNC members who participated in the optional survey, individuals born before availability of educational quality records (n = 87) and missing educational attainment (n = 585) were excluded. The final analytic sample was 20 778 individuals (56.5% women, 43.5% men; mean [SD] age, 74.7 [6.5] years; 18.8% Black; 81.2% White; 41.0% with less than high school education). Among Black individuals, 76.2% to 86.1% (vs 20.8%-23.3% of White individuals) attended schools in states in the lowest educational quality tertiles. Highest (vs lowest) educational quality tertiles were associated with lower dementia risk (student-teacher ratio: hazard ratio [HR], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.83-0.94]; attendance rates: HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.73-0.88]; term length: HR, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.73-0.86]). Effect estimates did not differ by race and were not attenuated by adjustment for educational attainment.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study, lower state-average educational quality was more common among Black individuals and associated with higher dementia risk. Differential investment in high-quality education due to structural racism may contribute to dementia disparities.

Dataset Information

Relation of Literacy and Music Literacy to Dementia in Older Black and White Brazilians.

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Relation of Literacy and Music Literacy to Dementia in Older Black and White Brazilians.

Similar Datasets

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