INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 11 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 10:45 am - 12:00 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology \| Education/Training \| Professional Practice Issues Final Abstract #43 Effects of Gender and Education on Neuropsychological Test Performance on Latino-Americans Veronica Gutierrez, California State University Northridge, Northridge, United States Isabel Muñoz, California State University Northridge, Northridge, United States Jill Razani, California State University Northridge, Northridge, United States Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience Keyword 1: acculturation Keyword 2: bilingualism/multilingualism Keyword 3: cognitive screening Objective: The nation’s Hispanic/Latino population has been one of the most rapid growing groups in the U.S., largely due to the arrival of new immigrants from Latin America and Mexico (Pew Reseach Center, 2014 and 2021). While some neuropsychological studies have been conducted on Spanish-speaking Latinos, there are virtually no studies on the performance of these individuals on performance-based activities of daily living (ADL) and factors that may affect test performance in these individuals. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of gender and education level on test performance on an observation-based activities of daily living task in healthy Latino adults. Participants and Methods: A group of 23 healthy Spanish-speaking Latino adults 65 years or older were recruited from the Los Angeles community. This sample consisted of 15 females and 8 males, and 10 of the participants had 0-8 years of formal education and 13 had 9 years or greater years of formal education. All participants were administered a Spanish version of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS; Loewenstein et al., 1992). The Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS)Spanish version is a performance/observation-based ADLmeasure consisting of seven subscales that measure different domains of functioning. These seven subscales assessorientation (e.g., to person, place and time), communicationabilities (e.g., using a phone, mailing a letter), transportation(e.g., identifying driving rules and signs), financial skills (balancing a checkbook), shopping ability (e.g., memorizing and recalling a list of shopping items from a mock grocery store), as well as basic tasks such as grooming and eating skills. For the purpose of this study, outcome scores for the total DAFS performance as well as those for the subscales of Orientation, Communication, Financial, Transportation, and Shopping skills were used for analyses. In addition to the DAFS, information regarding level of education and other demographic information was collected on the participants. Results: Individual univariate analysis, with education groups (< 9 years vs. > 9 years) and sex as the independent variablesand the Total DAFS scores and each of the five subscales as the dependent variables, were performed. For the Total DAFS scores, results revealed that males outperformed females F (1,19) = 6.53 (p < .05), and those with higher education performed better than those with lower education, F (1,19) = 5.38 (p < .05). This same pattern of males performing better than females was consistent across of the five subscales, and the pattern of higher educated outperforming those with lower education was similarly consistent for the financial, communication and transportation subscales. While not statistically significant, it appears that females with low levels of education perform the poorest on all subscales. Conclusions: These findings indicate that years of education and gender should be considered when interpreting this Spanish, performance-based ADL task, and that perhaps norms based on education and sex are needed so that healthy Spanish-speaking adults are not misclassified.

Poster

02/17/2024
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 11: Cultural Neuropsychology | Education/Training | Professional Practice Issues

Final Abstract #43

Effects of Gender and Education on Neuropsychological Test Performance on Latino-Americans

Veronica Gutierrez, California State University Northridge, Northridge, United States
Isabel Muñoz, California State University Northridge, Northridge, United States
Jill Razani, California State University Northridge, Northridge, United States

Category: Cross Cultural Neuropsychology/ Clinical Cultural Neuroscience

Keyword 1: acculturation
Keyword 2: bilingualism/multilingualism
Keyword 3: cognitive screening

Objective:

The nation’s Hispanic/Latino population has been one of the most rapid growing groups in the U.S., largely due to the arrival of new immigrants from Latin America and Mexico (Pew Reseach Center, 2014 and 2021). While some neuropsychological studies have been conducted on Spanish-speaking Latinos, there are virtually no studies on the performance of these individuals on performance-based activities of daily living (ADL) and factors that may affect test performance in these individuals. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of gender and education level on test performance on an observation-based activities of daily living task in healthy Latino adults.

Participants and Methods:

A group of 23 healthy Spanish-speaking Latino adults 65 years or older were recruited from the Los Angeles community. This sample consisted of 15 females and 8 males, and 10 of the participants had 0-8 years of formal education and 13 had 9 years or greater years of formal education.

All participants were administered a Spanish version of the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS; Loewenstein et al., 1992). The Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS)Spanish version is a performance/observation-based ADLmeasure consisting of seven subscales that measure different domains of functioning. These seven subscales assessorientation (e.g., to person, place and time), communicationabilities (e.g., using a phone, mailing a letter), transportation(e.g., identifying driving rules and signs), financial skills (balancing a checkbook), shopping ability (e.g., memorizing and recalling a list of shopping items from a mock grocery store), as well as basic tasks such as grooming and eating skills. For the purpose of this study, outcome scores for the total DAFS performance as well as those for the subscales of Orientation, Communication, Financial, Transportation, and Shopping skills were used for analyses. In addition to the DAFS, information regarding level of education and other demographic information was collected on the participants.

Results:

Individual univariate analysis, with education groups (< 9 years vs. > 9 years) and sex as the independent variablesand the Total DAFS scores and each of the five subscales as the dependent variables, were performed. For the Total DAFS scores, results revealed that males outperformed females F (1,19) = 6.53 (p < .05), and those with higher education performed better than those with lower education, F (1,19) = 5.38 (p < .05). This same pattern of males performing better than females was consistent across of the five subscales, and the pattern of higher educated outperforming those with lower education was similarly consistent for the financial, communication and transportation subscales. While not statistically significant, it appears that females with low levels of education perform the poorest on all subscales.

Conclusions:

These findings indicate that years of education and gender should be considered when interpreting this Spanish, performance-based ADL task, and that perhaps norms based on education and sex are needed so that healthy Spanish-speaking adults are not misclassified.