Abstract
Objective: Latino adults are at increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and have lower rates of health insurance (HI) coverage. Although inadequate HI coverage and MetS have been independently linked to poor cognition, their potential interactive effects have not yet been examined. The present study explored whether HI moderated the association between MetS and cognition. We hypothesized that Latinos with MetS that did not have HI would demonstrate poorer cognition than those with HI, whereas there would be minimal differences in cognition across HI status in those without MetS. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 805 Latino older adults enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities was utilized. Analysis of covariance adjusting for sociodemographics examined MetS x HI interactions on memory and attention/executive functions composites. Results: Results revealed a significant MetS x HI interaction on memory (F = 4.33, p = 0.037, η(p)(2) = .01); Latino adults with MetS and no HI coverage had worse memory performance than those with MetS who had HI coverage (p = 0.022, η(p)(2) = .01), whereas there was no significant difference in memory between HI coverage groups in those without MetS (p > .05, η(p)(2) = .002). No MetS x HI interaction was observed for the attention/executive functions composite (F = 0.29, p = 0.588, η(p)(2) < .001). Conclusion: Latino older adults with MetS that do not have HI coverage may be at risk for poorer memory outcomes. Increasing the accessibility of HI coverage may help reduce cognitive health disparities in Latino older adults with vascular health comorbidities.