Chile-Cog is establishing a foundation for investigating cognitive aging in Chile and in comparison to other HCAP sister studies, e.g., India, Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, and China. Chile provides a distinct context in Latin America from that of Mexico and most other Latin American countries in that Chile has an older population with a larger fraction at ages 60 and above, a much higher average level of schooling and per capita income, higher life expectancy, and generally greater resources devoted to health. For example, in 2021, the proportion of the male population 60 years and above in Chile (14.8%) was 50% larger than in Mexico (9.9%), and 32% larger than the Latin American and Caribbean countries’ average (11.2%). Similarly, the proportion of the female population 60 years and above in Chile (18.1%) was 59% larger than in Mexico (11.4%), and 36% larger than the Latin American and Caribbean countries’ average (13.3%). In 2020, Chilean male life expectancy at birth (78 years) was 5.7 years higher than in Mexico, 4.6 years higher than the Latin American and Caribbean countries’ average, and 3.5 years higher than in the U.S. Chilean female life expectancy at birth (82.5 years) in 2020 was 4.6 years higher than in Mexico, 3.6 years higher than in Latin American and Caribbean countries on average, and 2.3 years higher than in the U.S (Source: World Bank). Mean adult schooling in Chile (10.5 grades) was 1.9 grades higher than Mexico and the Latin American and Caribbean countries’ average in  2019 (Source: Pan American Health Organization). Thus Chile has a significantly older and more-schooled population than Latin America on average, which implies a much different context for aging and related physical and mental health conditions. Chile also has had the most rapid economic growth in Latin America over the past quarter century. Gross national income per capita in Chile ($15,000) was 50% higher in 2021 than in Mexico and 87% higher than the Latin American and Caribbean average.

In Chile, as elsewhere, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) have become a significant public health concern with the aging of its population. The linkage of the Chile-Cog respondents to earlier waves of the SPS and the Quality of Life Survey facilitates investigations of life-course exposures and their associations with later-life cognition. The topics of interest include early life conditions and older adult health, behavior, and well-being. It has become increasingly evident that early developmental circumstances may be crucial for shaping how we age, including linkages to cognitive health. At the same time, other life-cycle processes and old-age financial security, as well as work life, family support, savings and pensions, access to health care, and their interactions, can influence health and cognition later in life, including ADRD and related dementias.

The information available in the various waves of the SPS and/or Quality of Life Survey:

• • Demographic information, including members of the respondents’ household
  • Income, wealth, and education
  • Employment, retirement, pensions
  • Health insurance and healthcare utilization
  • Self-reported chronic conditions and disability
  • Cognition (Quality of Life Survey only)