The impact of COVID-19 on the well-being and cognition of older adults living in the United States and Latin America
Creators: name: Palmer-Cancel, Santiago J.
name: Lara, Mariana González
name: Diaz, Monica M.
name: Rentz, Dorene M.
name: Pardilla-Delgado, Enmanuelle
name: Peñailillo, Lissette Duque
name: Vila-Castelar, Clara
name: Rivera-Fernández, Claudia
name: Guzmán-Vélez, Edmarie
name: Babulal, Ganesh M.
name: Torrente, Fernando
name: Miranda-Castillo, Claudia
name: Torres, Valeria L.
name: Sperling, Reisa A.
name: Paredes, Alejandra Morlett
name: Cabrera, Diego M.
name: Aguilar-Navarro, Sara
name: Llibre-Guerra, Jorge
name: Amariglio, Rebecca
name: Nuñez-Herrera, Alberto
name: Franco, Idalid
name: Jimenez-Velazquez, Ivonne Z.
name: Perales-Puchalt, Jaime
name: Suing-Ortega, Maria Jose
name: Gatchel, Jennifer R.
name: Rosselli, Monica
name: Hanseeuw, Bernard J.
name: Quiroz, Yakeel T.
name: Munera, Diana
name: Baena, Ana
name: Ussui, Juliana Aya
name: Thumala, Daniela
name: Martinez, Jairo
name: Bocanegra, Yamile
name: Garza-Naveda, Ana Paola
name: de Oliveira, Maira Okada
name: Ramirez-Gomez, Liliana
name: Custodio, Nilton
name: Serrano, Cecilia M
name: Marquine, María J.
name: Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez, Lidia
name: Rodríguez, Tomás León
name: Slachevsky, Andrea
name: Medina, Luis D.
name: Soto-Añari, Marcio
name: Brucki, Sonia Maria Dozzi
name: Acosta, Daisy
name: Pluim, Celina
name: Vannini, Patrizia
name: Yañez-Escalante, Tatiana
name: Bustin, Julian
name: Agüero, Cinthya
Publisher: name: Elsevier
Year: 2021

description: <p>BACKGROUND: In the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults from vulnerable ethnoracial groups are at high risk of infection, hospitalization, and death. We aimed to explore the pandemic's impact on the well-being and cognition of older adults living in the United States (US), Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Peru. METHODS: 1,608 (646 White, 852 Latino, 77 Black, 33 Asian; 72% female) individuals from the US and four Latin American countries aged &ge; 55 years completed an online survey regarding well-being and cognition during the pandemic between May and September 2020. Outcome variables (pandemic impact, discrimination, loneliness, purpose of life, subjective cognitive concerns) were compared across four US ethnoracial groups and older adults living in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Peru. FINDINGS: Mean age for all participants was 66.7 (<em>SD</em>&nbsp;=&nbsp;7.7) years and mean education was 15.4 (<em>SD</em>&nbsp;=&nbsp;2.7) years. Compared to Whites, Latinos living in the US reported greater economic impact (<em>p</em>&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.001, <em>&eta;<sub>p</sub> <sup>2</sup></em> &nbsp;=&nbsp;<em>0</em>.031); while Blacks reported experiencing discrimination more often (<em>p</em>&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.001, <em>&eta;<sub>p</sub> <sup>2</sup></em> &nbsp;=&nbsp;<em>0</em>.050). Blacks and Latinos reported more positive coping (<em>p</em>&nbsp;&lt;&nbsp;.001, <em>&eta;<sub>p</sub> <sup>2</sup></em> &nbsp;=&nbsp;<em>0.</em>040). Compared to Latinos living in the US, Latinos in Chile, Mexico, and Peru reported greater pandemic impact, Latinos in Mexico and Peru reported more positive coping, Latinos in Argentina, Mexico, and Peru had greater economic impact, and Latinos in Argentina, Chile, and Peru reported less discrimination. INTERPRETATION: The COVID-19 pandemic has differentially impacted the well-being of older ethnically diverse individuals in the US and Latin America. Future studies should examine how mediators like income and coping skills modify the pandemic's impact. FUNDING: Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry.</p>