PURPOSE: The objective of the study is to examine the prevalence and incidence of difficulties in daily living and examine their relationship with socioeconomic mobility, defined as transitions across different levels of socioeconomic position (SEP) across the life course, in a diverse group of US Hispanics/Latinos.

METHODS: We analyzed data from Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) collected at Visit 2 (2014-2017, N = 11,446) and Visit 3 (2020-2024, N = 5568). Childhood and adulthood SEP indices were combined into four socioeconomic mobility categories: enduring adversity, downward mobility, upward mobility, and enduring advantage. Difficulties in daily living were categorized into four domains (sensory, cognition, mobility, independent living) with overall difficulties defined as having any difficulty.

RESULTS: Compared to those in the enduring advantage group, those in the enduring adversity group (OR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.40-2.18) and the downward mobility group (OR=1.40; 95% CI: 1.07-1.84) were associated with greater odds of overall difficulties in daily living. Prospectively, those in the downward mobility group were associated with a higher rate of incident difficulties over 6 years (IRR=1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.11) compared to those in the enduring advantage group.

CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic mobility is related to difficulties in daily living in US Hispanics/Latinos cross-sectionally and prospectively.