Early-Life Circumstances and Cross-Country Disparities in Cognition Among Older Populations - China, the US, and the EU, 2008-2018.

Abstract

Many health challenges have emerged due to rapid population aging, including declined cognitive ability among older adults. Childhood circumstances have significant and lasting impacts on cognition in old age. This study compared cognition data from China with both the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (EU) during 2008-2018, finding that childhood circumstances could respectively explain 65.4% [95% confidence interval (CI): 59.4%, 71.4%] (China vs. the U.S.) and 38.2% (95% CI: 35.1%, 41.2%) (China vs. the EU) of the overall differences in cognition among older adults. Family socioeconomic status explained the largest share of differences among all considered childhood circumstances. Large disparities in cognition should be addressed by mitigating childhood disadvantages.