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Neighborhood affluence and cognitive decline: Moderation by race?
1Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America; Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|September 28, 2025
Summary
Neighborhood affluence is linked to higher cognitive function, especially for Black adults. However, this neighborhood factor did not influence cognitive changes over time.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Neighborhood affluence is linked to cognitive function in older adults.
- Racial disparities in this association are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how neighborhood affluence and race influence cognitive function over time.
- To investigate if neighborhood affluence mitigates or exacerbates racial disparities in cognition.
Main Methods:
- Utilized three-level growth curve models.
- Analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study (N=13,384).
- Geocoded participant data with the National Neighborhood Data Archive.
Main Results:
- Higher neighborhood affluence was associated with better baseline cognitive function.
- This association was stronger for Black adults compared to White adults.
- Neighborhood affluence did not predict changes in cognitive function over the decade.
Conclusions:
- Neighborhood affluence is a significant contextual factor associated with baseline cognitive function and racial disparities.
- The benefits of neighborhood affluence on cognitive function may be more about initial levels than long-term changes.
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