# A Binational Study of the Dementia Trajectory and Living Arrangements in the U.S. and Mexico

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 2020 · $72,370

## Abstract

Abstract
The majority of previous research on health and support among racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. in general
and among Latinos in particular, and among peoples of Latin American countries relies on the idea of
familismo, the idea that family need is put before individual need. Although there is evidence supporting the
benefits of strong family ties have for helping older adults in these settings delay or avoid institutional care, the
proposed bi-national study is the first step toward assessing how Mexican and Mexican American families
organize caregiving relationships for elderly family members who experience dementia. We propose to
investigate trajectories of living arrangements and their relationship to dementia by employing the two largest
epidemiologic surveys of older Mexican adults, the Hispanic Established Population of the Epidemiologic Study
of the Elderly (H-EPESE) and the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS). These studies contain a wide
array of information regarding risk and protective factors for chronic diseases, dementia, dependency,
socioeconomic characteristics, and living arrangements. One conceptual innovation of the proposed research
is that the model for understanding the relationship between living arrangements and disability will serve as a
prototype for future research on the dementia-related disablement processes for other racial/ethnic minority
groups and bi-national comparisons with Mexico. By exploring the changing need for, and availability of,
support, as dementia progresses, we can make better conclusions about the number of older Latinos at risk of
being left without sound support and, consequently, highly dependent on public resources. We will estimate at
which point in the disablement process interventions are most needed. The proposed project, by incorporating
dementia, will also lead to the development of a more robust theoretical model for assessing disability and
support need in older adults. Another innovative aspect of the proposed research is the use of quantitative,
longitudinal data to examine the relationship between dementia and the need for assistance in two prospective
cohort studies of older Mexicans in Mexico and Mexican-origin adults in the United States. We will examine
patterns of stability and change in living arrangements among individuals with and without dementia; the extent
to which migration to and from the U.S. affects morbidity; health and socioeconomic status; and other proximal
factors to account for any differences. A key methodological innovation of this project is its move from static
cross-sectional analyses and standard growth models to growth mixture modeling (GMM), which allows us to
examine greater diversity in the lived experiences of older peoples with dementia in both nations. Altogether,
this work will provide a deeper understanding of the role of dementia in the long-term family caregiving
experience of the Mexican-origin population in both Mexico and the Unit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9896745
- **Project number:** 5R03AG063183-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **Principal Investigator:** JACQUELINE L. ANGEL
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $72,370
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9896745

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9896745, A Binational Study of the Dementia Trajectory and Living Arrangements in the U.S. and Mexico (5R03AG063183-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9896745. Licensed CC0.

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