Objective:
Longitudinal measurement invariance analyses are an important way to assess a test’s ability to estimate the underlying construct over time, ensuring that cognitive scores across visits represent a similar underlying construct, and that changes in test performance are attributable to individual change in cognitive abilities. We aimed to evaluate longitudinal measurement invariance in a large, social and culturally diverse sample over time.
Methods:
A total of 5,949 participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) were included, whose cognition was reassessed after four years. Longitudinal measurement invariance analysis was performed by comparing a nested series of multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis models (for memory and executive function factors).
Results:
Configural, metric, scalar and strict invariance were tested and supported over time.
Conclusion:
Cognitive temporal changes in this sample are more likely to be due to normal and/or pathological aging. Testing longitudinal measurement invariance is essential for diverse samples at high risk of dementia, such as in low- and middle-income countries.
Parallel tests; longitudinal change; cognition; low and middle income countries; memory; executive function
