COGNITIVE FUNCTION TRAJECTORIES AND ENRICHED ENVIRONMENT AT WORK AMONG OLDER LATINO ADULTS

Abstract

about "positive aging" and related concepts were derived from published research. Twelve of our 20 stakeholder steering committee members (SC) reviewed, edited, and reduced the list to 90 unique, "expert" statements. A purposeful sample of (N = 38) stakeholders used Concept Systems' online software to sort statements into categories and rate their importance. SC members informed interpretation of concept maps, i.e., visual depictions of stakeholder conceptualizations. The final concept map illuminates ten dimensions of positive aging comprising four sub-regions: 1) Self-sufficient Living (Self-sufficiency/Independence, Financial Security); 2) Health (Maintaining Physical Health, Maintaining Cognitive Health); 3) Psychological Resources (Resilience, Positive Outlook); and 4) Social & Spiritual Life (Giving of Oneself, Reciprocity, Meaningful Relationships, Spirituality). With few exceptions, e.g., spir-ituality, stakeholders produced similar importance ratings for each statement, with financial security rated most highly overall. Findings provide up-to-date insight into the variety of "expert" assumptions held by researchers and practitioners about what comprises positive aging for Latino and non-Latino older adults. Such conceptualizations should be compared with those of current and potential older adult clients when designing culturally sensitive programming to empower people to age well. Although age-graded patterns in the life course are being increasingly disrupted, the dynamic and impact of off-time transitions persist at institutional and individual levels. One example is higher education or retraining at midlife for purposes of workforce entry, re-entry or career change. In a mixed-methods study funded by the U.S. Institute of Education Sciences, we investigated the experiences of midlife students at Ohio's community colleges to identify barriers and opportunities for success. We report findings from student (n=74) and faculty (n=14) focus groups and interviews with two to three administrative key inform-ants at each of 22 community colleges. Although they share many concerns and needs, midlife students are distinguished from younger non-traditional students by the length of time elapsed (particularly since last school enrollment) and the length of time left (until retirement or death). Both phenomena have meaning and impact. Time elapsed may represent the end of earlier competing obligations and new opportunities for self-fulfillment. Gap years, or the time elapsed between school enrollments, produce deficits in academic readiness which may be offset by accumulation of life or work skills brought to the education experience. Gap years elicit a range of responses in terms of motivation and self-concept. In terms of time left, midlife students can be impelled or inhibited by a sense of urgency or pragmatism in their academic and career decisions. Our findings elucidate the experience and effects of "off-time" education and suggest institutional responses that reduce barriers, enhance opportunities, and actively challenge conceptions of life course timing. Compared to non-Latino whites, Latinos elders have higher onset of cognitive decline and greater prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. With the projected increase of the Latino older population, 20.0% of the 65-84y old population by 2050, our purpose was to examine the role of enriching working environments on cognitive function in older Latinos. Using data from a prospective cohort study of 1,500 representative Latino adults (45+ y); we examined longitudinal associations of baseline Enriched Work Environments (EWE) with six-year trajectories of Cognitive Function (CF) (Mini-Mental State Exam). Using Group-Based Trajectory Models, we identified four distinct trajectories of CF: severely low CF [baseline MMSE=15; 4%], Mild CF [baseline MMSE =20; 18%], no cognitive dysfunction [baseline MMSE =23; 55%], and the high CF group baseline MMSE =28; 23%]. Multinomial logistic regression models evaluated associations between baseline EWE and CF groups before and after controlling for demographics, chronic physical health conditions and depressive symptoms. Higher Verbal and Executive EWE were each significantly (p<0.05) associated with greater relative probabilities of belonging to higher CF groups vs. the severely low CF group, in crude models. After controlling for sex, age, education, smoking, drinking, diabetes, heart conditions , and depression, only the Verbal EWE remained significant. 1-point increase in Verbal EWE increased 3 and 4 times the relative probability of belonging to the no cognitive dysfunction group and the high CF group, respectively, vs. the severely low CF. Policy driven solutions are needed to reduce current gaps in education, employment, and earnings among Latino workers. The digitalization of the U.S. labor market has created new and evolving demands for education and training across the lifespan. Although considerable diversity in digital literacy exists within age groups, older workers are more likely to face challenges associated with skill obsolescence and often require continuing education to achieve job security or professional advancement. In this context, a growing number of adults age 40 and older are attending community colleges to improve their skills and enhance their employ-ability. However, the rising digitalization of higher education presents potential obstacles for students with limited digital skills. This paper reports qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study of older students in Ohio community colleges, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. Based on applied thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups with students, faculty, staff, and administrators at 22 colleges, we examine the role of digital technology as both