Racial and ethnic differences in the relationship between financial worry and white matter hyperintensities in Latinx, non-Latinx Black, and non-Latinx White older adults

Abstract

Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and contributes to racial and ethnic health disparities. However, traditional measures of SES may not accurately represent individual financial circumstances among non-Latinx Black and Latinx older adults due to longstanding structural inequities. This study examined associations between multiple SES indicators (education, income, subjective financial worry) and WMHs across non-Latinx Black, Latinx, and non-Latinx White older adults in the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (N = 662). Latinx participants reported the lowest SES and greatest financial worry, while Black participants evidenced the most WMHs. Greater financial worry was associated with higher WMHs volume above and beyond education and income, which were not associated with WMHs. However, this association was only evident among Latinx older adults. These results provide evidence for the minority poverty hypothesis and highlight the need for systemic socioeconomic interventions to alleviate brain health disparities in older adulthood.

Keywords: Aging; Racial and ethnic disparities; Socioeconomic status; White matter hyperintensities.