Wellbeing trajectories and dementia risk among Mexican-origin adults living in the U.S.

OBJECTIVE

Higher well-being is consistently associated with better cognitive health. However, little is known about how long-term trajectories of well-being are associated with cognitive health or modifiable dementia risk factors, particularly among populations at high risk for dementia. The current study addressed these open questions.

METHOD: The California Families Project, a 14-year longitudinal study of Mexican-origin adults living in the United States (N = 1,240), was used to estimate long-term trajectories of life satisfaction and optimism and whether the level and/or slope of each factor was associated with later cognitive health (i.e., cognitive function and impairment status, and self- and informant-rated memory) and modifiable dementia risk factors (i.e., hearing loss, hypertension, higher body weight, smoking, depression, social isolation, physical inactivity, diabetes, alcohol use, poor sleep quality, inadequate or excessive sleep, inadequate health insurance, and poor self-rated health).

RESULTS

Higher life satisfaction level was associated with better self- and informant-rated memory. More positive life satisfaction change was associated with better self-rated memory only. Higher optimism level was associated with better cognitive function, better self-rated memory, and better informant-rated memory. More positive optimism slope was associated with better cognitive function. Life satisfaction and optimism levels and change were also associated with several modifiable dementia risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term trajectories of well-being are associated with later levels of cognitive health and modifiable dementia risk factors in Mexican-origin adults living in the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).