Neighborhood Features and Cognitive Function : Moderating Roles of Individual Socioeconomic Status

Copyright © 2023 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..

INTRODUCTION: There is an interest in exploring the associations between neighborhood characteristics and individual cognitive function; however, little is known about whether these relationships can be modified by individual socioeconomic status, such as educational attainment and income.

METHODS: Drawing from the 2010-2018 Health and Retirement Study, this study analyzed 10,621 older respondents (aged 65+) with a total of 33,931 person-waves. These respondents did not have dementia in 2010 and stayed in the same neighborhood throughout the study period. Cognitive function was measured with a 27-point indicator biennially, and neighborhood characteristics (i.e., walkability, concentrated disadvantage, and social isolation) were assessed in 2010. All analyses were performed in 2023.

RESULTS: Cognitive function is positively associated with neighborhood walkability and negatively related to concentrated disadvantage, suggesting that exposures to these neighborhood characteristics have long-lasting impacts on cognitive function. Furthermore, individual socioeconomic status modifies the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and cognitive function. Compared with those graduating from college, respondents without a bachelor's degree consistently have lower cognitive function but the educational gap in cognitive function narrows with increases in walkability (b= -0.152, SE=0.092), and widens when neighborhood concentrated disadvantage (b=0.212, SE=0.070) or social isolation (b=0.315, SE=0.125) rises. The income gap in cognitive function shrinks with increases in walkability (b= -0.063, SE=0.027).

CONCLUSIONS: The moderating role of socioeconomic status indicates that low-socioeconomic status older adults who also live in disadvantaged neighborhoods face a higher risk of poor cognitive function. Low-education and low-income aging adults may have the most to gain from investments to improve neighborhood characteristics.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:66

Enthalten in:

American journal of preventive medicine - 66(2024), 3 vom: 15. Feb., Seite 454-462

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Yang, Tse-Chuan [VerfasserIn]
Kim, Seulki [VerfasserIn]
Choi, Seung-Won Emily [VerfasserIn]
Halloway, Shannon [VerfasserIn]
Mitchell, Uchechi A [VerfasserIn]
Shaw, Benjamin A [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Journal Article

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 23.02.2024

Date Revised 23.02.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.amepre.2023.10.012

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM363640436