title: Understanding within-group variability of everyday cognition in aging Black/African American adults: a mimic (multiple indicators, multiple causes) model approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Everyday cognition represents the ability to solve problems within domains that are representative of issues faced by adults on a daily basis. The current study examined individual differences in everyday cognitive ability among aging Black/African American adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic data on age, gender, education, physical functioning, chronic illnesses, self-reported health, and depression were collected from 248 African American adults (mean age = 67.8 years, standard deviation = 8.47 years). A multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling approach was used to examine the associations of individual characteristics with latent everyday cognitive ability and composite score indicators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, depressive symptoms, and number of chronic illnesses were negatively related to latent everyday cognition. The individual characteristics of age, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, and education were directly associated with composite indicators of latent everyday cognition. This suggests that within this sample of older Black/African American adults that certain composite scores (i.e., telephone use, food preparation, and finances) may be particularly sensitive to these individual characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results identify specific sources of variability in everyday cognitive ability among aging Blacks/African Americans. These individual differences should be accounted for when studying everyday cognition among Blacks/African Americans and when comparing the everyday cognitive ability of Blacks/African Americans with other groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA. bayotte@umassd.edu
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Ayotte
authors.forename: Jason C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Allaire
authors.forename: Keith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Whitfield
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D011340:Problem Solving