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| Aging in a more disadvantaged neighborhood may worsen a person’s performance on cognitive tests, particularly if that individual is Mexican American, according to a recent NIA-funded study. A team of scientists analyzed data from 1,614 older adult participants in the Health and Aging Brain Study — Health Disparities. More than half of study participants identified as Mexican American, with the rest non-Hispanic White. To measure cognition, the researchers examined performance on memory, language, attention, processing speed, and executive functioning tests. Neighborhood disadvantage of each participant’s current residence was characterized using the Area Deprivation Index. After adjusting for age, educational level, and sex, the researchers found an association between neighborhood disadvantage and cognitive performance for both groups of participants. This effect was enhanced for Mexican American participants. More research is needed to explore the link between neighborhood disadvantage and cognitive function. The small number of non-Hispanic White participants living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods may have been a limitation for the analysis. Learn more about the study and its findings. |
