IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v385y2025ics0277953625009268.html

Neighborhood affluence and cognitive decline: Moderation by race?

Author

Listed:
  • Bell, Mallory J.

Abstract

Prior research indicates that neighborhood affluence is associated with better cognitive function in later life, yet we are relatively unaware if this benefit extends equally to White and Black adults. In the current study, I use three-level growth curve models and data from the Health and Retirement Study geocoded to data from the National Neighborhood Data Archive (N = 13,384) to examine the relationship between neighborhood affluence, race, and changes in cognitive function over a decade. Results indicate that neighborhood affluence was associated with higher baseline levels of cognitive function, and this relationship was more pronounced for Black adults. Cognitive function declined as respondents aged over the study period, yet neighborhood affluence, as well as its interaction with race, was not related to change in cognitive function. These findings suggest that neighborhood affluence is a salient contextual resource linked to racial disparities in cognitive function.

Suggested Citation

  • Bell, Mallory J., 2025. "Neighborhood affluence and cognitive decline: Moderation by race?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 385(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:385:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625009268
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118595
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953625009268
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118595?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lilah M. Besser & Willa D. Brenowitz & Oanh L. Meyer & Serena Hoermann & John Renne, 2021. "Methods to Address Self-Selection and Reverse Causation in Studies of Neighborhood Environments and Brain Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-19, June.
    2. Shih, R.A. & Ghosh-Dastidar, B. & Margolis, K.L. & Slaughter, M.E. & Jewell, A. & Bird, C.E. & Eibner, C. & Denburg, N.L. & Ockene, J. & Messina, C.R. & Espeland, M.A., 2011. "Neighborhood socioeconomic status and cognitive function in women," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(9), pages 1721-1728.
    3. Finlay, Jessica & Esposito, Michael & Langa, Kenneth M. & Judd, Suzanne & Clarke, Philippa, 2022. "Cognability: An Ecological Theory of neighborhoods and cognitive aging," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    4. Addam Reynolds & Emily A Greenfield & Alyssa Gamaldo, 2024. "Diminished Returns of Higher Parental Education on Cognition for Black Adults in Middle and Later Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 79(3), pages 12-145.
    5. Sean F. Reardon & Lindsay Fox & Joseph Townsend, 2015. "Neighborhood Income Composition by Household Race and Income, 1990–2009," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 660(1), pages 78-97, July.
    6. Daniel J. Pohl & Dominika Seblova & Justina F. Avila & Karen A. Dorsman & Erin R. Kulick & Joan A. Casey & Jennifer Manly, 2021. "Relationship between Residential Segregation, Later-Life Cognition, and Incident Dementia across Race/Ethnicity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Wen, Ming & Browning, Christopher R. & Cagney, Kathleen A., 2003. "Poverty, affluence, and income inequality: neighborhood economic structure and its implications for health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 57(5), pages 843-860, September.
    8. Bauldry, Shawn, 2014. "Conditional health-related benefits of higher education: An assessment of compensatory versus accumulative mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 94-100.
    9. Ye Luo & Lingling Zhang & Xi Pan & Deborah Carr, 2019. "Neighborhood Environments and Cognitive Decline Among Middle-Aged and Older People in China," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 74(7), pages 60-71.
    10. Péter Hudomiet & Michael D. Hurd & Susann Rohwedder, 2022. "Trends in inequalities in the prevalence of dementia in the United States," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 119(46), pages 2212205119-, November.
    11. Friedman, Esther M. & Shih, Regina A. & Slaughter, Mary E. & Weden, Margaret M. & Cagney, Kathleen A., 2017. "Neighborhood age structure and cognitive function in a nationally-representative sample of older adults in the U.S," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 149-158.
    12. Kathleen A. Cagney & Christopher R. Browning & Ming Wen, 2005. "Racial Disparities in Self-Rated Health at Older Ages: What Difference Does the Neighborhood Make?," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 60(4), pages 181-190.
    13. Farmer, Melissa M. & Ferraro, Kenneth F., 2005. "Are racial disparities in health conditional on socioeconomic status?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 191-204, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Soares, Mariana & Mierau, Jochen O. & Pichler, Stefan & Viluma, Laura, 2026. "Individual and environmental stressors in life course cognitive health disparities: Evidence from the Dutch Lifelines Cohort Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 391(C).
    2. Whittaker, Shannon & Hyacinthe, Marie-Fatima & Keene, Danya & Dulin, Akilah & Kershaw, Trace & Warren, Joshua, 2025. "Race, wealth and health: The role of reparations," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 373(C).
    3. Wight, Richard G. & Cummings, Janet R. & Miller-Martinez, Dana & Karlamangla, Arun S. & Seeman, Teresa E. & Aneshensel, Carol S., 2008. "A multilevel analysis of urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and health in late life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 862-872, February.
    4. Wen, Ming & Hawkley, Louise C. & Cacioppo, John T., 2006. "Objective and perceived neighborhood environment, individual SES and psychosocial factors, and self-rated health: An analysis of older adults in Cook County, Illinois," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(10), pages 2575-2590, November.
    5. Besiki L. Kutateladze & Victoria Z. Lawson, 2017. "A New Look at Inequality: Introducing and Testing a Cross-Sectional Equality Measurement Framework in New York City," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 132(3), pages 993-1022, July.
    6. Ming Wen & Danan Gu, 2011. "The Effects of Childhood, Adult, and Community Socioeconomic Conditions on Health and Mortality among Older Adults in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(1), pages 153-181, February.
    7. Friedman, Esther M. & Shih, Regina A. & Slaughter, Mary E. & Weden, Margaret M. & Cagney, Kathleen A., 2017. "Neighborhood age structure and cognitive function in a nationally-representative sample of older adults in the U.S," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 149-158.
    8. Weden, Margaret M. & Carpiano, Richard M. & Robert, Stephanie A., 2008. "Subjective and objective neighborhood characteristics and adult health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 1256-1270, March.
    9. Hudson, Darrell L. & Puterman, Eli & Bibbins-Domingo, Kirsten & Matthews, Karen A. & Adler, Nancy E., 2013. "Race, life course socioeconomic position, racial discrimination, depressive symptoms and self-rated health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 7-14.
    10. Joshua C. Hall & Brad R. Humphreys & Jane E. Ruseski, 2015. "Economic Freedom, Race, and Health Disparities: Evidence from US States," Working Papers 15-43, Department of Economics, West Virginia University.
    11. Hui-Chuan Hsu & Chyi-Huey Bai, 2021. "Social and Built Environments Related to Cognitive Function of Older Adults: A Multi-Level Analysis Study in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-13, March.
    12. Rachel L. Peterson & Kristen M. George & Duyen Tran & Pallavi Malladi & Paola Gilsanz & Amy J. H. Kind & Rachel A. Whitmer & Lilah M. Besser & Oanh L. Meyer, 2021. "Operationalizing Social Environments in Cognitive Aging and Dementia Research: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-19, July.
    13. Ming Wen & Christopher R. Browning & Kathleen A. Cagney, 2007. "Neighbourhood Deprivation, Social Capital and Regular Exercise during Adulthood: A Multilevel Study in Chicago," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 44(13), pages 2651-2671, December.
    14. Signe Smith Nielsen & Nana Folmann Hempler & Allan Krasnik, 2013. "Issues to Consider When Measuring and Applying Socioeconomic Position Quantitatively in Immigrant Health Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-12, November.
    15. Veenstra, Gerry & Vanzella-Yang, Adam, 2022. "Interactions between parental and personal socioeconomic resources and self-rated health: Adjudicating between the resource substitution and resource multiplication theories," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    16. Thurston, Rebecca C. & Matthews, Karen A., 2009. "Racial and socioeconomic disparities in arterial stiffness and intima media thickness among adolescents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 807-813, March.
    17. Fan Wu & Yanfei Guo & Yang Zheng & Wenjun Ma & Paul Kowal & Somnath Chatterji & Ling Wang, 2016. "Social-Economic Status and Cognitive Performance among Chinese Aged 50 Years and Older," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(11), pages 1-9, November.
    18. Stafford, Mai & Cummins, Steven & Ellaway, Anne & Sacker, Amanda & Wiggins, Richard D. & Macintyre, Sally, 2007. "Pathways to obesity: Identifying local, modifiable determinants of physical activity and diet," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(9), pages 1882-1897, November.
    19. Hafifa Siddiq & Babak Najand, 2022. "Immigration Status, Socioeconomic Status, and Self-Rated Health in Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-12, November.
    20. Badland, Hannah & Whitzman, Carolyn & Lowe, Melanie & Davern, Melanie & Aye, Lu & Butterworth, Iain & Hes, Dominique & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2014. "Urban liveability: Emerging lessons from Australia for exploring the potential for indicators to measure the social determinants of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 64-73.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:385:y:2025:i:c:s0277953625009268. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.