Abstract
Objective: This study examined the influence of Hispanic ethnicity and language/cultural background on performance on the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB). Method: Participants included healthy, primarily English-speaking Hispanic (n = 93; Hispanic-English), primarily Spanish-speaking Hispanic (n = 93; Hispanic-Spanish), and English speaking Non-Hispanic white (n = 93; NH white) adults matched on age, sex, and education levels. All participants were in the NIH Toolbox national norming project and completed the Fluid and Crystallized components of the NIHTB-CB. T-scores (demographically-unadjusted) were developed based on the current sample and were used in analyses. Results: Spanish-speaking Hispanics performed worse than English-speaking Hispanics and NH whites on demographically unadjusted NIHTB-CB Fluid Composite scores (ps <.01). Results on individual measures comprising the Fluid Composite showed significant group differences on tests of executive inhibitory control (p =.001), processing speed (p =.003), and working memory (p <.001), but not on tests of cognitive flexibility or episodic memory. Test performances were associated with language/cultural backgrounds in the Hispanic-Spanish group: better vocabularies and reading were predicted by being born outside the U.S., having Spanish as a first language, attending school outside the U.S., and speaking more Spanish at home. However, many of these same background factors were associated with worse Fluid Composites within the Hispanic-Spanish group. Conclusions: On tests of Fluid cognition, the Hispanic-Spanish group performed the poorest of all groups. Socio-demographic and linguistic factors were associated with those differences. These findings highlight the importance of considering language/cultural backgrounds when interpreting neuropsychological test performances. Importantly, after applying previously published NIHTB-CB norms with demographic corrections, these language/ethnic group differences are eliminated.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 783-797 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Clinical Neuropsychologist |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 19 2017 |
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Keywords
- Acculturation
- cognition
- cultural aspects
- language
- toolbox
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Performance of Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites on the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery : the roles of ethnicity and language backgrounds. / Flores, Ilse; Casaletto, Kaitlin B.; Marquine, Maria J.; Umlauf, Anya; Moore, David J.; Mungas, Dan M; Gershon, Richard C.; Beaumont, Jennifer L.; Heaton, Robert K.
In: Clinical Neuropsychologist, Vol. 31, No. 4, 19.05.2017, p. 783-797.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Performance of Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Whites on the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery
T2 - the roles of ethnicity and language backgrounds
AU - Flores, Ilse
AU - Casaletto, Kaitlin B.
AU - Marquine, Maria J.
AU - Umlauf, Anya
AU - Moore, David J.
AU - Mungas, Dan M
AU - Gershon, Richard C.
AU - Beaumont, Jennifer L.
AU - Heaton, Robert K.
PY - 2017/5/19
Y1 - 2017/5/19
N2 - Objective: This study examined the influence of Hispanic ethnicity and language/cultural background on performance on the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB). Method: Participants included healthy, primarily English-speaking Hispanic (n = 93; Hispanic-English), primarily Spanish-speaking Hispanic (n = 93; Hispanic-Spanish), and English speaking Non-Hispanic white (n = 93; NH white) adults matched on age, sex, and education levels. All participants were in the NIH Toolbox national norming project and completed the Fluid and Crystallized components of the NIHTB-CB. T-scores (demographically-unadjusted) were developed based on the current sample and were used in analyses. Results: Spanish-speaking Hispanics performed worse than English-speaking Hispanics and NH whites on demographically unadjusted NIHTB-CB Fluid Composite scores (ps <.01). Results on individual measures comprising the Fluid Composite showed significant group differences on tests of executive inhibitory control (p =.001), processing speed (p =.003), and working memory (p <.001), but not on tests of cognitive flexibility or episodic memory. Test performances were associated with language/cultural backgrounds in the Hispanic-Spanish group: better vocabularies and reading were predicted by being born outside the U.S., having Spanish as a first language, attending school outside the U.S., and speaking more Spanish at home. However, many of these same background factors were associated with worse Fluid Composites within the Hispanic-Spanish group. Conclusions: On tests of Fluid cognition, the Hispanic-Spanish group performed the poorest of all groups. Socio-demographic and linguistic factors were associated with those differences. These findings highlight the importance of considering language/cultural backgrounds when interpreting neuropsychological test performances. Importantly, after applying previously published NIHTB-CB norms with demographic corrections, these language/ethnic group differences are eliminated.
AB - Objective: This study examined the influence of Hispanic ethnicity and language/cultural background on performance on the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB). Method: Participants included healthy, primarily English-speaking Hispanic (n = 93; Hispanic-English), primarily Spanish-speaking Hispanic (n = 93; Hispanic-Spanish), and English speaking Non-Hispanic white (n = 93; NH white) adults matched on age, sex, and education levels. All participants were in the NIH Toolbox national norming project and completed the Fluid and Crystallized components of the NIHTB-CB. T-scores (demographically-unadjusted) were developed based on the current sample and were used in analyses. Results: Spanish-speaking Hispanics performed worse than English-speaking Hispanics and NH whites on demographically unadjusted NIHTB-CB Fluid Composite scores (ps <.01). Results on individual measures comprising the Fluid Composite showed significant group differences on tests of executive inhibitory control (p =.001), processing speed (p =.003), and working memory (p <.001), but not on tests of cognitive flexibility or episodic memory. Test performances were associated with language/cultural backgrounds in the Hispanic-Spanish group: better vocabularies and reading were predicted by being born outside the U.S., having Spanish as a first language, attending school outside the U.S., and speaking more Spanish at home. However, many of these same background factors were associated with worse Fluid Composites within the Hispanic-Spanish group. Conclusions: On tests of Fluid cognition, the Hispanic-Spanish group performed the poorest of all groups. Socio-demographic and linguistic factors were associated with those differences. These findings highlight the importance of considering language/cultural backgrounds when interpreting neuropsychological test performances. Importantly, after applying previously published NIHTB-CB norms with demographic corrections, these language/ethnic group differences are eliminated.
KW - Acculturation
KW - cognition
KW - cultural aspects
KW - language
KW - toolbox
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85009247279&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85009247279&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13854046.2016.1276216
DO - 10.1080/13854046.2016.1276216
M3 - Article
C2 - 28080261
AN - SCOPUS:85009247279
VL - 31
SP - 783
EP - 797
JO - Clinical Neuropsychologist
JF - Clinical Neuropsychologist
SN - 1385-4046
IS - 4
ER -