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Primary Submission Category: Aging

Early Life Educational Environments and Cognitive Health: The Role of Formal and Informal K-12 Contexts in Later-Life Cognitive Functioning

Authors:  Kimson E. Johnson, Maddison Linker,

Presenting Author: Kimson E. Johnson*

Introduction

Formal and informal education environments intersect with structural factors, reflecting a history of structural racism and racial inequities in K-12 education. Though research often emphasizes educational attainment, there are gaps in understanding how diverse early educational exposures shape cognitive health. This study investigates how varied formal and informal K-12 educational experiences shape episodic memory in later life.

Methods

This study uses data from the Health and Retirement Study 2015-2017 Life History Mail Survey and 2020 Core survey. Latent class analysis identified distinct profiles of formal (n=6,201) and informal (n=5,880) K-12 educational environments among adults 50+. Informal factors include parental education and home literacy resources (i.e., number of books), while formal factors include school racial composition (White vs. non-White) and school type (Public, Private, Diverse). Episodic memory was measured using a composite score of immediate and delayed recall. Covariates include childhood health, number of siblings, and family financial situation. Linear regression examined the association between latent class and episodic memory scores.

Results

Four latent classes emerged for informal factors and three for formal factors. For formal factors, respondents who attended diverse K-12 schools with a majority White student population had higher episodic memory (β = 0.60, p<.01), while those in majority non-White public schools had lower episodic memory scores (β = -0.47, p<.05). For informal factors, even in book-filled homes, individuals with moderate (β = -0.83, p<.001) and lower parental education (β = -1.27, p<.001) had lower episodic memory. Episodic memory was lower for those with low parental education and no books at home (β = -1.92, p<.001).

Conclusions

Understanding these pathways is crucial for informing interventions that promote cognitive health equity across diverse educational environments.