Cognitive Limitations Among Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants

OBJECTIVES: To estimate and compare the prevalence of cognitive limitations among Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrants compared to US- and foreign-born non-Hispanic Whites from Europe (including Russia/former USSR) and examine differences after controlling for risk factors. METHODS: = 24,827) were analyzed. RESULTS: The prevalence of cognitive limitations was 17.3% among MENA immigrants compared to 9.6% and 13.6% among US- and foreign-born non-Hispanic Whites from Europe. MENA immigrants had higher odds (OR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.06-3.34) of reporting a cognitive limitation than US-born non-Hispanic Whites after controlling for age, sex, education, hearing loss, hypertension, depression, social isolation, and diabetes. DISCUSSION: To further examine cognitive health among the MENA aging population, policy changes are needed to identify this group that is often absent from research because of their federal classification as non-Hispanic Whites.