Abstract
INTRODUCTION: This study examined whether multilingualism modified the adverse effect of illiteracy on cognition among older Indian adults with low to no formal schooling. METHODS: Data came from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India-Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (N = 2533, Mage = 70.3 years, 84% illiterate, 24% multilingual, ≤4 years of education). Generalized linear models and propensity score matching assessed whether multilingualism modified the association between illiteracy and domain-specific cognition. RESULTS: Illiteracy was negatively associated with cognition, while multilingualism was positively associated. While multilingualism did not buffer the association of illiteracy, it did increase the positive association of literacy with executive functioning and memory. DISCUSSION: These findings highlight the detrimental effects of illiteracy on cognition, while multilingualism appears beneficial among older adults with low to no formal schooling. The benefits of multilingualism, however, were diminished in illiterate compared to literate older adults, suggesting that limited early-life educational opportunities can weaken its contribution to cognition.