Abstract
We study gender differences on cognitive functioning among older adults living in poverty. The data come from the Survey of Health and Wellbeing of the Elderly (ESBAM) which is the baseline survey to evaluate the Peru’s social pension program Pension 65. The results show that females are better off than males regarding episodic memory, but worse off in mental intactness. We do not find gender differences in the overall measure of cognition, but regional differences matter in favour of urban localities. The sizeable associations of education and quality of childhood nutrition with later-life cognition confirm the long-term impacts of early life developments on current outcomes, particularly in the case of females. Therefore, policies aimed at improving early childhood development are expected to have a positive impact in the quality of old-age.
Highlights
The decline of cognitive abilities in old age is a well-documented fact in human biology and in social sciences thanks to the emergence of large-scale and representative household surveys aimed at assessing the well-being of the elderly
We find that educational attainment and variables related to childhood and actual nutritional status are strongly associated with the level of cognitive functioning
In this paper we have reported important gender differences in a range of different cognitive abilities in a sample of elderly individuals living in poverty in Peru
Summary
The decline of cognitive abilities in old age is a well-documented fact in human biology and in social sciences thanks to the emergence of large-scale and representative household surveys aimed at assessing the well-being of the elderly. Apart from labour, some other factors such as education, health conditions and nutritional status are important in explaining the stock of cognitive abilities and the rate of decline. Once all of these factors—which might have affected males and females differently across lifetime—, are taken into account, one would not expect gender differences in cognition in later-life. The usual explanation for this disparity in developing countries is rooted in important gender differences in educational attainment and nutrition in early childhood These results lend support for calling for equalizing opportunities in accessing education between boys and girls as a vehicle to enhance cognition in old-age and to reduce disparities
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