India, April 14 -- Brain health isn't just personal-it's environmental too. Living in a well-connected, resource-rich neighborhood may help protect the brain as we age and save you from memory-robbing conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Neighborhood Amenities Linked to Slower Cognitive Decline
Older Chinese immigrants living in neighborhoods with better access to community spaces, services, and supportive infrastructure show a slower decline in cognitive health, according to researchers at Rutgers Health.
Their study examined data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly, one of the largest studies of older Chinese immigrants in the United States. Researchers examined how neighborhood resources, such as museums, libraries, health services and internet access, were associated with changes in cognitive function among 2,763 Chinese immigrants ages 60 or older living in the Greater Chicago area.
The findings of the study are published in the journal Social Science & Medicine (1).
While neighborhood conditions weren't linked to cognitive performance at the beginning of the study, researchers found that individuals living in more "cognitively supportive" neighborhoods declined more slowly with age.
Where You Live Shapes Brain Health
"Our findings suggest that where people live can play an important role in preserving cognitive health later in life," said Yanping Jiang, a core member of the Rutgers Center for Population Behavioral Health at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research and lead author of the study. "Neighborhoods that offer access to cultural, social and health-related resources may help reduce dementia risk by supporting mental stimulation, physical activity, and social engagement over time."
Jiang, an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, added that "older immigrants, like Chinese Americans, often face cultural and language barriers and limited mobility, which can make them especially reliant on local resources. This means community investments in culturally accessible amenities and services may be particularly meaningful for supporting healthy aging in immigrant populations."
Cognability Neighborhood Index Shows How Communities Shape Brain Health
To capture the effects of neighborhood environments, the researchers developed a "Cognability Neighborhood Index" that reflects the availability of amenities, services and infrastructure that may support cognitive health. These features included numbers of museums, recreational centers, education and civic organizations, parks, public transit stops, health care services, road networks and internet access in specific communities.
The researchers found that participants living in neighborhoods with higher "Cognability" scores experienced significantly slower rates of cognitive decline, even after accounting for age, sex, education, marital status, neighborhood socioeconomic status and the amount of time living in a neighborhood and other individual factors.
Museums and Libraries Key to Better Cognitive Health
Not all amenities were equally beneficial, however. Researchers identified specific neighborhood features that were particularly beneficial for better cognitive trajectories, including greater access to museums and libraries and more nearby health services.
Access to Amenities May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias affect 55 million people worldwide. Researchers have identified several modifiable risk factors for these incurable diseases, including factors shaped by an individual's neighborhood environment.
Rutgers researchers said initiatives that expand access to local cultural institutions, health services and supportive infrastructure have the potential to foster environments that protect the cognitive health of underserved populations, as well as the general population.