Category fluency in a latino sample: associations with age, education, gender, and language.
The authors know of no published studies that have evaluated the effect of Spanish- versus English-language on category fluency within a sample of United States Latinos only. As part of a pilot study for the institution of a cognitive screening program in a cohort of Latinos, we assessed category fluency (fruits, vegetables, and "other" supermarket items) in a sample of 90 self-identified Latino community residents (aged 52-84, 0-18 years of education). The primary demographic correlates of category fluency were age and education. The decrement in naming of fruits with age was limited to the older old subjects (>age 70). Relatively younger old subjects (aged 61-70) did not differ from middle-aged subjects on category fluency. Gender showed little relationship to category naming. Persons naming in Spanish named significantly fewer 'other supermarket' items, but did not differ from English speakers in the more common fluency categories of fruits and vegetables. This analysis of category fluency in an ethnically homogenous sample with a wide range of formal education provided an evaluation of the effects of chosen language free of possible confounding by cultural differences, and also provided a more complete evaluation of the influence of education on category fluency.
Mack
Wendy J
WJ
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. wmack@usc.edu
Teng
Evelyn
E
Zheng
Ling
L
Paz
Sylvia
S
Chui
Helena
H
Varma
Rohit
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003710:Demography; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*