Neighborhood Disorder and Cognitive Health
Author Information
Author(s): Yu Jiao, Wang Yi, Chen Xi
Primary Institution: Yale University
Hypothesis
Does stress accumulation and physical activity mediate the relationship between perceived neighborhood disorder and cognitive health in older adults?
Conclusion
Higher levels of perceived neighborhood disorder are linked to poorer cognitive health in older adults, with physical activity playing a small mediating role.
Supporting Evidence
- Higher perceived neighborhood disorder is associated with lower cognitive scores.
- Physical activity accounts for a small portion of the cognitive decline linked to neighborhood disorder.
- Allostatic load did not show a significant mediating effect on cognitive health.
Takeaway
Living in a messy or unsafe neighborhood can make older people forgetful, but staying active can help a little.
Methodology
Data from the Health and Retirement Study was used, employing propensity score matching and causal mediation analyses.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from self-reported measures of neighborhood disorder and cognitive function.
Limitations
The study may not account for all individual-level characteristics that could influence cognitive health.
Participant Demographics
Older Americans aged 65 years and older without dementia at baseline.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: -0.94, -0.42
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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