Association between strength levels and cognitive status in Brazilian and Americans older adults: the role of race inequalities

Older Black adults in both countries showed worse VF scores compared to Whites (Figure 1). Post-hoc analysis revealed no differences in dynamometry values between White and Black older adults in the USA, but differences were observed in the Brazilian cohort. Brazilian Black adults had almost three times the risk of cognitive impairment on the VF test compared to White Americans (Table 1). Lower handgrip values and older age significantly increased the risk of cognitive impairment. No increased risks were found in the American cohort based on race or gender. Naïve Bayes analysis indicated that being a Black woman with low education, income, strength, and more than two chronic diseases is associated with over 52% probability of cognitive impairment (Figure 2) CONCLUSION: Handgrip strength is more strongly associated with cognitive levels in Brazilian older adults. Brazilian Black women have a higher risk of cognitive impairment on the VF test compared to their American counterparts.