Prevalence of Disorders of Executive Cognitive Functioning among the Elderly: Findings from the San Luis Valley Health and Aging Study

The San Luis Valley Health and Aging Study is a population-based epidemiologic study of chronic illness and disability among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white persons over the age of 60 in two counties in rural southern Colorado, USA. Between 1993 and 1995, we examined the prevalence of impaired executive cognitive functioning in a sample of 1,313 individuals living both in the community and in nursing homes. Overall, 1 person in 3 was found to have at least mild impairment, while 1 in 6 had moderate to severe deficits. Increasing levels of executive functioning impairment were associated with lower education, advancing age, and Hispanic ethnicity. After controlling for education and acculturation, the differences by ethnic group were no longer significant.