Development of a Combined Sensory-Cognitive Measure Based on the Common Cause Hypothesis: Heterogeneous Trajectories and Associated Risk Factors.

This study aims to develop a combined measure of sensory-cognitive functioning, and to identify heterogeneous trajectories and associated risk factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Two thousand two hundred and fifty-five individuals aged 60 years and over selected from the first six waves (2002-2012) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing completed a set of five self-reported visual and hearing functioning items and four cognitive items. Several health-related outcomes were also collected. RESULTS: The common cause model presented longitudinal factorial invariance (Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] = 0.989; Comparative Fit Index [CFI] = 0.991; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation [RMSEA] = 0.026). A common factor explained 32%, 36%, and 26% of the visual, hearing, and cognitive difficulties, respectively. The developed sensory-cognitive measure predicted incident dementia over 10 years (area under the curve = .80; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .75, .86). A three-trajectory model was proved to fit better, according to growth mixture modeling. Low levels of education and household wealth, disability, diabetes, high blood pressure, depressive symptoms, and low levels of physical activity were risk factors associated with the classes showing trajectories with a steeper increase of sensory-cognitive difficulties. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: A time-invariant factor explains both sensory and cognitive functioning over 8 years. The sensory-cognitive measure d...
Source: The Gerontologist - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Gerontologist Source Type: research