The Long-Term Impact of Racial and Ethnic School Composition on Late-Life Cognition, Depressive Symptoms, and Overall Health Among Older US Latinos

Latinx individuals' educational experiences in the US were shaped by structural and interpersonal discrimination, potentially contributing to disparities in dementia and related risk factors. Racial and ethnic school composition reflects resources and co-ethnic belonging. We used Health and Retirement Study data from 315 Latinx adults aged≥50 years who reported their school racial/ethnic composition through 12th grade. We estimated associations between each composition type (1-year unit) and memory scores (0-20), depressive symptoms (0-8), and poor self-rated health (SRH; yes/no), adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Greater duration in schools serving majority Latinx students was not associated with memory (β=-0.01 [-0.09, 0.07]) or depressive symptoms (β=-0.03 [-0.09, 0.04]) but was associated with higher risk for poor SRH (RR=1.05 [1.01, 1.08]). Greater duration in schools serving majority Black students was associated with lower memory (β=-0.16 [-0.31, -0.01]), more depressive symptoms (β=0.18 [0.07, 0.29]), and higher risk for poor SRH (RR=1.06 [1.00, 1.11]). Greater duration in schools serving majority White students was associated with higher memory scores (β=0.09 [0.01, 0.16]), lower depressive symptoms (β=-0.05 [-0.11, 0.00]), and decreased risk for poor SRH (RR=0.91 [0.87, 0.96]). Among Latinx adults, the impact of school composition varied by whether schools served other marginalized populations, reflecting countervailing influences.