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Objectives To study the impact of diabetes on the long-term cognitive trajectories of older adults in 2 countries with different socioeconomic and health settings, and to determine whether this relationship differs by cognitive domains. This study uses Mexico and the United States to confirm if patterns hold in both populations, as these countries have similar diabetes prevalence but different socioeconomic conditions and diabetes-related mortality. Methods Two nationally representative cohorts of adults aged 50 years or older are used: the Mexican Health and Aging Study for Mexico and the Health and Retirement Study for the United States, with sample sizes of 18,810 and 26,244 individuals, respectively, followed up for a period of 14 years. The outcome is cognition measured as a total composite score and by domain (memory and nonmemory). Mixed-effect linear models are used to test the effect of diabetes on cognition at 65 years old and over time in each country. Results Diabetes is associated with lower cognition and nonmemory scores at baseline and over time in both countries. In Mexico, diabetes only predicts lower memory scores over time, whereas in the United States it only predicts lower memory scores at baseline. Women have higher total cognition and memory scores than men in both studies. The magnitude of the effect of diabetes on cognition is similar in both countries. Discussion Despite the overall lower cognition in Mexico and different socioeconomic characteristics, the impact of diabetes on cognitive decline and the main risk and protective factors for poor cognition are similar in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Although immigration policies have shifted dramatically over the course of U.S. history, few have examined their role as a source of health heterogeneity among immigrants. We address this gap by evaluating whether exposure to U.S. Immigration Policy Regimes (IPRs) corresponds with later-life disability disparities among Mexico–U.S. migrant women and men, and assess the degree to which observed differences may also be associated with immigration policies and occupational composition. Method We analyze 8 waves of data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (3,044 individuals and 14,474 observations from 1993/1994–2013). Using hierarchical linear models, we estimate trajectories of physical disability associated with gender, occupation, and IPR. Results We find differences in disability trajectories by IPR. Associations are not different between men and women, and are not mediated by occupational composition. We also observe an additive effect for certain occupations among women, but not among men. Discussion Findings demonstrate that exposure to different IPRs is associated with disparate disability trajectories among Mexico–U.S. migrants. Future research is needed to contextualize the role of IPRs amid other mechanisms of gendered racialization that powerfully contribute to cumulative health differences across the life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]