%0 Journal Article %J The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences %D 2020 %T Spousal education and cognitive functioning in later life. %A Minle Xu %K Cognition & Reasoning %K Education %K Marriage %X

Objectives: Numerous studies have documented the relationship between education and cognitive functioning at the individual level. Yet few studies have examined whether a spouse's education spills over to influence the other spouse's cognitive functioning. This study, therefore, investigated the association between spousal education and cognitive functioning, the pathways that may account for this association, and gender differences in this association.

Method: Growth curve models were analyzed by using longitudinal couple data from the Health and Retirement Study (N=5,846 individuals).

Results: More years of spousal education is associated with higher level of cognitive functioning at age 65 (γ000=.0532, 95% confidence interval [CI]=.0163.0901) and slower decline in cognitive functioning in later adulthood (γ100 =.0054, 95% CI=.0026.0082). The positive association between spousal education and the level of cognitive functioning at age 65 was fully explained by economic resources. The association of spousal education with the rate of cognitive decline decreased but remained significant after controlling for economic resources and health behaviors (γ100 =.0043, 95% CI =.0014.0072). The association between spousal education and cognitive functioning was similar for men and women.

Discussion: Findings suggest that more years of spousal education may slow decline in cognitive functioning for men and women in later life.

%B The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences %V 75 %P e141-e150 %G eng %N 7 %R 10.1093/geronb/gbz014 %0 Journal Article %J Annals of Epidemiology %D 2020 %T Widowhood and Mortality: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and the Role of Economic Resources %A Hui Liu %A Debra Umberson %A Minle Xu %K gender %K Mortality %K race-ethnicity %K Widowhood %X Purpose We examine widowhood effects on mortality across gender and race-ethnicity, with attention to variation in the mediating role of economic resources. Methods Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (1992-2016). The analytic sample included 34,777 respondents aged 51 and older who contributed 208,470 person-period records. Discrete-time hazard models were estimated to predict the odds of death among white men, black men, Hispanic men, white women, black women, and Hispanic women separately. Karlson–Holm–Breen analysis was conducted to examine the mediating role of economic resources across groups. Results Across all gender and racial-ethnic subgroups, widowhood effects on mortality were largest for Hispanic men. Black women and Hispanic women also suffered stronger effects of widowhood on mortality than white women. For both men and women, economic resources were an important pathway through which widowhood increased mortality risk for whites and blacks but not for Hispanics. Conclusions Findings highlight that gender and race-ethnicity intersect with widowhood status to disadvantage some groups more than others. It is important to explore the complex pathways that contribute to the higher mortality risk of racial-ethnic minorities, especially Hispanic men, following widowhood so that effective interventions can be implemented to reduce those risks. %B Annals of Epidemiology %V 45 %P 69-75.e1 %G eng %9 Journal %R 10.1016/j.annepidem.2020.02.006