Subjective memory complaints and cognitive performance among older adults living in low-income senior housing communities: The moderating role of race

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between subjective memory complaints and objective cognitive performance and test whether this relationship was moderated by race, after controlling for age, gender, and education. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study including 151 older adults living in low-income senior housing. Results from the logistic regression models showed that compared to those without subjective memory complaints, older adults with subjective memory complaints had 2 times greater odds of having impaired cognition, after controlling for age, gender, and education (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.08-4.78, p=.03). Race moderated the relationship between subjective memory complaints and the odds of having impaired cognition (p=.002). Findings suggest that subjective memory complaints are associated with objective cognitive performance and this relationship differed significantly for Black and White older adults. Further research is needed to understand reasons for these racial differences and to develop clinical interventions for supporting the cognitive health of older adults living in senior housing.