Preventive Medicine and Community Health, and

Background. Optimal mental health (cognitive and emotional functioning) is an important factor for maintaining physical function. This study investigated the effects of cognitive and emotional status on subsequent lower body func-tion in a population-based sample of older Mexican Americans. Methods. A 2-year prospective cohort study included Mexican Americans aged 65 and older who scored 18 or higher on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline interview and for whom complete data on a summary performance measure of lower body function were available at the 2-year follow-up interview ( n 2068). In-home inter-views in 1993–1994 and 1995–1996 assessed sociodemographic variables, physical health conditions, cognitive func-tion, emotional health, and lower body function. Results