HANDGRIP STRENGTH, DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN OLDER MEXICAN AMERICAN ADULTS

Q: How were cognitive impairment and handgrip strength defined in the study?

Cognitive impairment (CI) was defined as an MMSE score < 21. Handgrip strength (HGS) was classified as low or high using sex-specific cutoffs: <27/≥27 kg for men and <16/≥16 kg for women.

Q: What relationship did the study find between HGS, depressive symptoms, and CI over time?

Across participants, lower DS together with low or high HGS was associated with markedly lower odds of CI over time compared with the low HGS-high DS group, after adjusting for covariates.

Q: Did the association between depressive symptoms and CI differ by nativity?

Yes. Among foreign-born participants with high DS, high HGS was significantly associated with lower odds of CI over time, while this association was not observed among US-born participants with high DS.

Sep 28, 2026

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High depressive symptoms (DS) relate to cognitive decline, while higher handgrip strength (HGS) relates to less cognitive decline. This study assessed nativity differences in the HGS–DS association with cognitive impairment (CI) over 12 years among 984 Mexican American adults aged 75+ with baseline MMSE ≥ 21. CI was MMSE < 21, HGS was low/high by sex cutoffs, and high DS used CES-D ≥ 16, adjusting for socio-demographics and health. Findings support targeting both DS and physical strength to improve cognition.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Study Objective and Design

Participants and Measures

Grouping, Covariates, and Outcomes

FAQs

How were cognitive impairment and handgrip strength defined in the study?

Cognitive impairment (CI) was defined as an MMSE score < 21. Handgrip strength (HGS) was classified as low or high using sex-specific cutoffs: <27/≥27 kg for men and <16/≥16 kg for women.

What relationship did the study find between HGS, depressive symptoms, and CI over time?

Across participants, lower DS together with low or high HGS was associated with markedly lower odds of CI over time compared with the low HGS-high DS group, after adjusting for covariates.

Did the association between depressive symptoms and CI differ by nativity?

Yes. Among foreign-born participants with high DS, high HGS was significantly associated with lower odds of CI over time, while this association was not observed among US-born participants with high DS.

Sep 28, 2026

Upload by eBook King