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Objectives To create a risk index (Mexican American Dementia Nomogram ( MADeN)) that predicts dementia over a 10-year period for Mexican Americans aged 65 and older. Design Retrospective cohort study with longitudinal analysis. Setting Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California. Participants Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H- EPESE) participants (n = 1,739). Measurements Dementia was defined as a decline of three or more points per year on the Mini-Mental State Examination and inability to perform one or more daily activities. Candidate risk factors included demographic characteristics, measures of social engagement, self-reported health conditions, ability to perform daily activities, and physical activity. Results The MADeN comprised the following risk factors: age, sex, education, not having friends to count on, not attending community events, diabetes mellitus, feeling the blues, pain, impairment in instrumental activities of daily living, and unable to walk a half-mile. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.74 (95% confidence interval ( CI) = 0.70-0.78) and a score of 16 points or higher had a sensitivity of 0.65 (95% CI = 0.59-0.72) and specificity of 0.70 (95% CI = 0.67-0.73) in predicting dementia. Conclusion The MADeN was able to predict dementia in a population of older Mexican-American adults with moderate accuracy. It has the potential to identify older Mexican-American adults who may benefit from interventions to reduce dementia risk and to educate this population about risk factors for dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To examine the association between routine physical activity and risk of 3-year mortality in Mexican Americans aged 75 and older. Design Longitudinal study involving a population-based survey. Setting Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly ( H- EPESE) survey conducted in the southwestern United States ( TX, CO, AZ, NM, CA). Participants Mexican- American men and women aged 75 and older ( N = 948) participating in the H- EPESE. Measurements Responses to the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly ( PASE) were assessed in 2005-06. Mortality was determined according to report of relatives at 3-year follow-up and from the National Death Index. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, financial strain, smoking status, body mass index, activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and comorbid conditions. Results The mean age of the sample was 82.2 ± 4.5. Cox proportional hazard regression estimated that the hazard ratios of death for persons in the low, moderate, and high quartiles of physical activity ( PASE scale) ranged from 0.36 (95% confidence interval ( CI) = 0.21-0.62) to 0.50 (95% CI = 0.31-0.82) compared to persons in the sedentary quartile after adjusting for covariates. Conclusion Routine physical activity involving household and leisure activities was associated with lower 3-year risk of mortality in a sample of older Mexican Americans living in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]