Racial/ethnic differences in the association of high school quality with later life cognitive function

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundLonger education predicts better cognitive health, but it is unclear whether other attributes of schooling matter, or whether educational opportunities confer equal benefits across our society. We examined racial/ethnic differences in the association of high school quality with later life cognition among a unique cohort of older adults followed since high school.MethodIn 1960, about 5% of US high schools participated in Project Talent (PT). PT measured demographics and aptitude in students and gathered objective information about school characteristics. In 2018‐2019, a total of 2,353 PT participants (mean age=74.6) responded to a telephone interview, which included neuropsychological tests. Language ability was measured with animal (semantic) and letter F (phonemic) fluency. Memory was measured with the CERAD learning list and delayed recall savings. A school quality factor score, capturing term length, class size, and teacher qualifications, was used as a predictor of individual test scores. We examined differences in the association between school quality and cognitive function by self‐reported race/ethnicity. For each outcome, we estimated two linear regression models. We first estimated the main effects of school quality and race/ethnicity, adjusting for 1960 cognitive aptitude, sex/gender, age, and a composite measure of parental socioeconomic status, then we added an interaction term for school quality and race/ethnicity.ResultRespondents were mostly non‐Hispanic White (76%), 10% non‐Hispanic Black, 4% Hispanic (of any race) and 9% self‐identified as Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern/North African, American Indian/Alaska Native, or more than one race. School quality was highest for Hispanic respondents and lowest for Blacks. Higher school quality was associated with higher cognitive scores 58 years later, reaching statistical significance for CERAD learning (0.05 SD; 95%CI: 0.01;0.09) and letter fluency 0.07 SD (95%CI 0.03;0.1). Whites, Hispanics, and other racial/ethnic groups benefited more from higher school quality compared to Blacks, and this was reliably different for phonemic fluency.ConclusionAttending higher quality high schools was associated with better scores on neurocognitive tests 58 years later. Future work will examine the structural and social inequalities to address why non‐Hispanic Black students had lower cognitive benefits from higher school quality than other racial/ethnic groups.