Supplemental Materials: Duration of poverty and subsequent cognitive function and decline among older adults in China, 2005-2018

Objective

To investigate the relationship between late-life duration of poverty exposure and cognitive function and decline among older adults in China.

Methods

Data were from 3,209 participants aged ≥64 in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Duration of poverty, defined according to urban and rural regional standards from the China Statistical Yearbook, was assessed from 2005-2011 (never in poverty; 1/3 of the period in poverty; ≥2/3 of the period in poverty). Cognitive function was measured by the Chinese Mini Mental State Exam (CMMSE) from 2011 to 2018. We used attrition-weighted, multivariable mixed-effects Tobit regression to examine the association of duration of poverty with cognitive performance and rate of decline.

Results

A total of 1,162 individuals (36.21%) were never in poverty over the period from 2005 to 2011, 1,172 (36.52%) were in poverty 1/3 of the period, and 875 (27.27%) were in poverty ≥2/3 of the period. A longer poverty durat...