title: The effect of adult children living in the United States on the likelihood of cognitive impairment for older parents living in Mexico.
abstract: The increased risk for poor physical and mental health outcomes for older parents in Mexico who have an adult child living in the United States may contribute to an increased risk for cognitive impairment in this population. The objective of this study was to examine if older adults in Mexico who have one or more adult children living in the United States are more or less likely to develop cognitive impairment over an 11-year period compared to older adults who do not have any adult children living in the United States.
  
  
  
  Data for this study came from Wave I (2001) and Wave III (2012) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study. The final sample included 2609 participants aged 60 and over who were not cognitively impaired in 2001 and had one or more adult children (age ≥15). Participants were matched using a propensity score that was estimated with a multivariable logistic regression model that included sociodemographic characteristics and migration history of the older parents.
  
  
  
  Having one or more adult children living in the United States is associated with lower socioeconomic status and higher number of depressive symptoms, but greater social engagement for older parents living in Mexico. No significant differences in the odds for developing cognitive impairment according to having one or more adult children living in the United States were detected.
  
  
  
  In summary, having one or more adult children living in the United States was associated with characteristics that may increase and decrease the risk for cognitive impairment. This may contribute to the non-significant relationship between migration status of adult children and likelihood for cognitive impairment for older parents living in Mexico.
authors: a Division of Rehabilitation Sciences , University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston , TX , USA.
authors: Brian
authors: B
authors: Downer
authors: b School of Social Work, University of Colima , Colima , Mexico.
authors: Cesar
authors: C
authors: González-González
authors: c Office of Population Research , Princeton University , Princeton , NJ , USA.
authors: Noreen
authors: N
authors: Goldman
authors: d California Center for Population Research , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.|e University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health , University of California Los Angeles , Los Angeles , CA , USA.
authors: Anne R
authors: AR
authors: Pebley
authors: f Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health , University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston , TX , USA.
authors: Rebeca
authors: R
authors: Wong
mesh_terms: D032721:Adult Children; D000368:Aged; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States
keywords: Cognition; Mexico; aging; human migration