Neighborhood Features and Cognitive Function: Moderating Roles of Individual Socioeconomic Status
Tse-Chuan Yang1, Seulki Kim2, Seung-Won Emily Choi3
1Department of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|October 23, 2023
Summary
Neighborhood characteristics impact cognitive function in older adults. Socioeconomic status, like education and income, influences this relationship, with disadvantaged individuals facing higher risks.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Exploring neighborhood influences on cognitive function is crucial for aging populations.
- Socioeconomic status (SES) may modify the association between neighborhood characteristics and cognitive health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between neighborhood characteristics (walkability, concentrated disadvantage, social isolation) and cognitive function in older adults.
- To examine whether individual SES (education, income) moderates these associations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 10,621 older adults (65+) from the 2010-2018 Health and Retirement Study.
- Biennial cognitive function assessment and 2010 neighborhood characteristic data.
- Statistical models accounting for SES as a moderator.
Main Results:
- Positive association between neighborhood walkability and cognitive function.
- Negative association between concentrated disadvantage and cognitive function.
- SES modified these relationships: educational and income gaps in cognitive function narrowed with increased walkability and widened with increased disadvantage/isolation.
Conclusions:
- Neighborhood characteristics significantly impact long-term cognitive function in older adults.
- Low SES amplifies the negative effects of disadvantaged neighborhoods on cognitive health.
- Interventions improving neighborhood environments may particularly benefit low-SES older adults.
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