Association of Perceived Neighborhood Environments With Cognitive Function in Older Adults.
Boeun Kim, Dori E Rosenberg, Adrian Dobra and 3 others
PMID 37523339WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults who perceived better transit access and sidewalk coverage in their neighborhood scored slightly higher on cognitive tests.
These links disappeared for other neighborhood features after adjusting for age and education. The sample was highly educated and mostly cognitively intact, so results may not apply to diverse groups.
Key findings
01After adjusting for individual factors, only perceived transit access and sidewalk coverage remained significantly associated with better cognitive function.
02A 1-point higher transit access score was associated with 0.56 points higher cognitive function on average.
03A 1-point higher sidewalk coverage score was associated with 0.22 points higher cognitive function on average.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The cross-sectional design means the study cannot determine if neighborhood perceptions influence cognition or if cognitively intact people simply live in better neighborhoods. The sample was predominantly non-Hispanic White, highly educated, and healthier than the general older adult population, limiting how well results apply to other groups. Participants had very high cognitive scores on average, with little variability in their neighborhood perception ratings, which makes it hard to detect strong associations. Comorbid conditions and other potential confounders were not controlled for, which could influence both neighborhood perceptions and cognitive function.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving neighborhood transit or sidewalks will cause better cognitive function. The study only shows an association in a cross-sectional design, and the effect sizes are very small (less than 1 point on a 100-point scale). Additionally, the sample was highly educated and cognitively intact, so these findings may not apply to patients with cognitive impairment or diverse backgrounds.