Cognitive function among older adults: income discontinuities in Chile and Mexico

Abstract INTRODUCTION Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC) has the highest dementia prevalence among world regions, yet comparative studies within LAC are scarce. METHODS Data are from 3071 participants from population‐based aging studies and their Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol substudies in Chile and Mexico. Linear regressions were used to examine multivariable‐adjusted associations between later‐life cognitive function and continuous and quintile measures of total monetary income (e.g., wages, business income, welfare benefits, pensions) in country‐specific and pooled models. RESULTS Log‐transformed income shows a significant positive gradient in pooled analyses and in Chile, but not in Mexico. Income‐quintile models reveal discontinuities: Significant positive associations appear in the top two quintiles in pooled data and in Chile and in the highest quintile in Mexico. However, cross‐country interaction terms are not statistically significant. DISCUSSION These comparative analyses advance our knowledge of cognitive aging and highlight cognitive benefits associated with income in Chile and Mexico.