The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA) is a population-based, prospective study of foreign and US-born Latino respondents living in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California. The SALSA study is tracking the incidence of physical and cognitive impairment as well as dementia and cardiovascular diseases in elderly Latinos in the Sacramento region. The effects of hypertension, diabetes, and other cardiovascular risk factors, such as nutrition and lifestyle factors, are also being examined. The study is funded with a grant from the National Institute of Aging. Demographic information for study participant includes age given at follow-up visits, country of birth, language, religion, marital status, educational level, occupation, household income, and size of household.

The SALSA study aims to: (1) assess cognitive, physical and social functions, which include the ability to follow instructions, to perform certain movements, and to interact with others, (2) examine the effect that cultural, nutritional, social and cardiovascular risk factors have on overall health and dementia, (3) examine the association between diabetes and functional status, and (4) estimate the prevalence and incidence of dementia in the Latino population in the Sacramento area.