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Study design

This population-based longitudinal analysis used six waves of the China Family Panel Studies from 2012 to 2022, including 14,938 adults aged 45 and older. Researchers modelled patterns in self-rated memory and tested their association with cumulative social determinants of health.

What it found

Two rating profiles differed mainly in overall level rather than rate of change. Each additional adverse social determinant was associated with higher odds of a persistently lower-rating profile (odds ratio 1.23); this fell to 1.16 after additional adjustment for baseline memory. Self-ratings correlated weakly with objective cognitive measures.

Limits and interpretation

This observational study used self-rated memory, not an objective diagnosis. Adjustment for baseline memory reduced the association, and the analysis cannot show that a specific social factor caused the pattern. Its large sample gives population-level evidence but may not generalize beyond this cohort.

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