IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i16p2828-d255758.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Association of Environmental Features and the Risk of Alzheimer’s Dementia in Older Adults: A Nationwide Longitudinal Case-Control Study

Author

Listed:
  • Chih-Ching Liu

    (Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan)

  • Chung-Yi Li

    (Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
    Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan)

  • Shiann-Far Kung

    (Department of Urban Planning, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
    Healthy Cities Research Center, Research and Services Headquarters, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan)

  • Hsien-Wen Kuo

    (Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan)

  • Nuan-Ching Huang

    (Healthy Cities Research Center, Research and Services Headquarters, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan)

  • Yu Sun

    (Department of Neurology, En Chu Kong Hospital, New Taipei City 23702, Taiwan
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Susan C. Hu

    (Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
    Healthy Cities Research Center, Research and Services Headquarters, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Little is known about the association between environmental features and the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). This study aims to investigate the association of physical and social environments with the incidence of AD. We identified 12,401 newly diagnosed AD cases aged ≥65 years in 2010, with the same no. of matched controls from National Health Insurance claims in Taiwan. Environmental data were collected from government statistics including three physical environments and three social environments. Multilevel logistic regression was conducted to calculate the odds ratios (OR) of AD in association with environmental features at the township level. Results showed that living in the areas with higher availability of playgrounds and sport venues was associated with a 3% decreased odds of AD (95% CI = 0.96–0.99), while higher density of elderly living alone was associated with a 5% increased odds of AD (95% CI = 1.01–1.11), after controlling for individual and other environmental factors. In further examination by urbanization level, the above relationships were found only in rural areas but not in urban areas. This study provides evidence that specific physical and social environmental features have different impacts on the risk of AD.

Suggested Citation

  • Chih-Ching Liu & Chung-Yi Li & Shiann-Far Kung & Hsien-Wen Kuo & Nuan-Ching Huang & Yu Sun & Susan C. Hu, 2019. "Association of Environmental Features and the Risk of Alzheimer’s Dementia in Older Adults: A Nationwide Longitudinal Case-Control Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:16:p:2828-:d:255758
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/16/2828/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/16/2828/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. Nuan-Ching Huang & Shiann-Far Kung & Susan C. Hu, 2018. "The Relationship between Urbanization, the Built Environment, and Physical Activity among Older Adults in Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Macintyre, Sally & Ellaway, Anne & Cummins, Steven, 2002. "Place effects on health: how can we conceptualise, operationalise and measure them?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 125-139, July.
    4. Lin, Yen-Ju & Tian, Wei-Hua & Chen, Chun-Chih, 2011. "Urbanization and the utilization of outpatient services under National Health Insurance in Taiwan," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(2), pages 236-243.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Lilah M. Besser & Lun-Ching Chang & Jana A. Hirsch & Daniel A. Rodriguez & John Renne & Stephen R. Rapp & Annette L. Fitzpatrick & Susan R. Heckbert & Joel D. Kaufman & Timothy M. Hughes, 2021. "Longitudinal Associations between the Neighborhood Built Environment and Cognition in US Older Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-12, July.
    3. Lilah M. Besser & Marcia Pescador Jimenez & Cameron J. Reimer & Oanh L. Meyer & Diana Mitsova & Kristen M. George & Paris B. Adkins-Jackson & James E. Galvin, 2023. "Diversity of Studies on Neighborhood Greenspace and Brain Health by Racialized/Ethnic Group and Geographic Region: A Rapid Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(9), pages 1-22, April.

    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. David Consolazio & Annemarie Koster & Simone Sarti & Miranda T Schram & Coen D A Stehouwer & Erik J Timmermans & Anke Wesselius & Hans Bosma, 2020. "Neighbourhood property value and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Maastricht study: A multilevel study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Bolte, Gabriele, 2018. "Epidemiologische Methoden und Erkenntnisse als eine Grundlage für Stadtplanung und gesundheitsfördernde Stadtentwicklung," Forschungsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Baumgart, Sabine & Köckler, Heike & Ritzinger, Anne & Rüdiger, Andrea (ed.), Planung für gesundheitsfördernde Städte, volume 8, pages 118-134, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    3. Mitchell, Richard & Dujardin, Claire & Popham, Frank & Farfan Portet, Maria-Isabel & Thomas, Isabelle & Lorant, Vincent, 2011. "Using matched areas to explore international differences in population health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(8), pages 1113-1122.
    4. Yoon-Sun Jung & Ki-Beom Kim & Seok-Jun Yoon, 2020. "Factors Associated with Regional Years of Life Lost (YLLs) due to Suicide in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-9, July.
    5. Spielman, Seth E. & Yoo, Eun-hye, 2009. "The spatial dimensions of neighborhood effects," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1098-1105, March.
    6. Allison Williams & Peter Kitchen, 2012. "Sense of Place and Health in Hamilton, Ontario: A Case Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 108(2), pages 257-276, September.
    7. Jones, Peris Sean, 2012. "Mind the gap: Access to ARV medication, rights and the politics of scale in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 28-35.
    8. Garthwaite, Kayleigh & Bambra, Clare, 2017. "“How the other half live”: Lay perspectives on health inequalities in an age of austerity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 268-275.
    9. Anna-Karin Ivert & Marie Torstensson Levander & Juan Merlo, 2013. "Adolescents' Utilisation of Psychiatric Care, Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Deprivation: A Multilevel Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-1, November.
    10. Balsam Ahmad & Fouad M. Fouad & Shahaduz Zaman & Peter Phillimore, 2019. "Women’s health and well-being in low-income formal and informal neighbourhoods on the eve of the armed conflict in Aleppo," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(1), pages 75-82, January.
    11. McNeill, Lorna Haughton & Kreuter, Matthew W. & Subramanian, S.V., 2006. "Social Environment and Physical activity: A review of concepts and evidence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 1011-1022, August.
    12. Caitlin Robinson & Stefan Bouzarovski & Sarah Lindley, 2018. "Underrepresenting neighbourhood vulnerabilities? The measurement of fuel poverty in England," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 50(5), pages 1109-1127, August.
    13. Seth E Spielman & Eun-Hye Yoo & Crystal Linkletter, 2013. "Neighborhood Contexts, Health, and Behavior: Understanding the Role of Scale and Residential Sorting," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 40(3), pages 489-506, June.
    14. Clark, Alexander M., 2013. "What are the components of complex interventions in healthcare? Theorizing approaches to parts, powers and the whole intervention," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 185-193.
    15. Dang, Rui, 2015. "Spillover effects of local human capital stock on adult obesity: Evidence from German neighborhoods," Ruhr Economic Papers 585, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    16. 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.
    17. Eleonore M Veldhuizen & Karien Stronks & Anton E Kunst, 2013. "Assessing Associations between Socio-Economic Environment and Self-Reported Health in Amsterdam Using Bespoke Environments," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(7), pages 1-10, July.
    18. Anna Maria Santiago & Kristen A. Berg & Joffré Leroux, 2021. "Assessing the Impact of Neighborhood Conditions on Neurodevelopmental Disorders during Childhood," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-14, August.
    19. 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.
    20. Clare Herrick, 2008. "To the West and East of Interstate-35: Obesity, Philanthropic Entrepreneurialism, and the Delineation of Risk in Austin, Texas," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(11), pages 2715-2733, November.

    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:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:16:p:2828-:d:255758. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.