{"title":"Socioeconomic Disparities in Cognitive Impairment: The Role of Neighborhood Social Cohesion.","authors":"Yeonwoo Kim, Soeun Jang","doi":"10.1093/geroni/igaf031","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objectives: </strong>Cognitive impairment is a significant public health challenge, particularly as the aging population continues to grow. Individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are at greater risk for cognitive decline, contributing to persistent socioeconomic disparities. While research has predominantly focused on individual-level factors influencing cognitive health, the role of favorable residential environments in mitigating these disparities remains less studied. This study investigates the longitudinal association between time-variant neighborhood social cohesion and cognitive impairments over 6 years, and its moderating effect on the relationship between socioeconomic status and cognitive impairment, exploring its potential to reduce socioeconomic disparities in cognitive decline.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>We analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study collected in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Our sample included respondents aged 50 and older who were not cognitively impaired at baseline, allowing us to identify those who developed cognitive impairment after 2012 (<i>N</i> = 11 026).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Multilevel logistic regression models showed that higher levels of perceived neighborhood social cohesion were associated with a lower likelihood of cognitive impairment (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.95, 0.97, <i>p</i> < .001). Additionally, greater educational attainment and higher family income were associated with lower risks of cognitive impairment. Interaction tests showed that the protective role of neighborhood social cohesion was particularly stronger for individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.</p><p><strong>Discussion and implications: </strong>These findings highlight the importance of promoting neighborhood social cohesion as a part of multilevel public health strategies to mitigate cognitive decline and address health disparities in older adults. Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations and to identify effective approaches for enhancing neighborhood social cohesion in communities with low-socioeconomic individuals, ultimately informing multilevel public health interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":13596,"journal":{"name":"Innovation in Aging","volume":"9 6","pages":"igaf031"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12149528/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Innovation in Aging","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf031","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background and objectives: Cognitive impairment is a significant public health challenge, particularly as the aging population continues to grow. Individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are at greater risk for cognitive decline, contributing to persistent socioeconomic disparities. While research has predominantly focused on individual-level factors influencing cognitive health, the role of favorable residential environments in mitigating these disparities remains less studied. This study investigates the longitudinal association between time-variant neighborhood social cohesion and cognitive impairments over 6 years, and its moderating effect on the relationship between socioeconomic status and cognitive impairment, exploring its potential to reduce socioeconomic disparities in cognitive decline.
Research design and methods: We analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study collected in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Our sample included respondents aged 50 and older who were not cognitively impaired at baseline, allowing us to identify those who developed cognitive impairment after 2012 (N = 11 026).
Results: Multilevel logistic regression models showed that higher levels of perceived neighborhood social cohesion were associated with a lower likelihood of cognitive impairment (OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.95, 0.97, p < .001). Additionally, greater educational attainment and higher family income were associated with lower risks of cognitive impairment. Interaction tests showed that the protective role of neighborhood social cohesion was particularly stronger for individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Discussion and implications: These findings highlight the importance of promoting neighborhood social cohesion as a part of multilevel public health strategies to mitigate cognitive decline and address health disparities in older adults. Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these associations and to identify effective approaches for enhancing neighborhood social cohesion in communities with low-socioeconomic individuals, ultimately informing multilevel public health interventions.
期刊介绍：
Innovation in Aging, an interdisciplinary Open Access journal of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), is dedicated to publishing innovative, conceptually robust, and methodologically rigorous research focused on aging and the life course. The journal aims to present studies with the potential to significantly enhance the health, functionality, and overall well-being of older adults by translating scientific insights into practical applications. Research published in the journal spans a variety of settings, including community, clinical, and laboratory contexts, with a clear emphasis on issues that are directly pertinent to aging and the dynamics of life over time. The content of the journal mirrors the diverse research interests of GSA members and encompasses a range of study types. These include the validation of new conceptual or theoretical models, assessments of factors impacting the health and well-being of older adults, evaluations of interventions and policies, the implementation of groundbreaking research methodologies, interdisciplinary research that adapts concepts and methods from other fields to aging studies, and the use of modeling and simulations to understand factors and processes influencing aging outcomes. The journal welcomes contributions from scholars across various disciplines, such as technology, engineering, architecture, economics, business, law, political science, public policy, education, public health, social and psychological sciences, biomedical and health sciences, and the humanities and arts, reflecting a holistic approach to advancing knowledge in gerontology.
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