scholarly journals Exploring How Neighborhood Characteristics and Psychosocial Resilience Affect Cognition Among Older Black Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 98-98
Author(s):  
Heather Farmer ◽  
Amy Thierry ◽  
Marina Armendariz ◽  
Sydney Kirven ◽  
Kyler Sherman-Wilkins
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Physical Disorder ◽  
Neighborhood Characteristics ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Psychosocial Resilience

Abstract Black older adults are at greater risk for poor cognitive health than Whites, and adverse neighborhood conditions may contribute to this disparity. Moreover, limited research examines how resilience is implicated in the relationship between neighborhoods and cognition among Blacks. Using 2006-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we examine how perceived neighborhood characteristics (physical disorder and social cohesion) and psychosocial resilience (social support, mastery, and sense of purpose) contribute to cognitive functioning among 1,655 Black adults ages 65+. Results from multilevel linear regression models show that greater physical disorder was associated with worse cognitive functioning, and this was attenuated after adjustment for socioeconomic status. We found a positive association between purpose and mastery with cognitive functioning, even after accounting for socioeconomic, psychosocial, and health-related characteristics. Thus, high levels of purpose and mastery may be protective for cognitive functioning among Black older adults in spite of experiencing negative neighborhood contexts.

scholarly journals Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Cognitive Functioning among Diverse Older Adults: An Intersectional Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2661
Author(s):  
Amy D. Thierry ◽  
Kyler Sherman-Wilkins ◽  
Marina Armendariz ◽  
Allison Sullivan ◽  
Heather R. Farmer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Neighborhood Characteristics ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions ◽  
Gender And Education ◽  
Race Ethnicity

Unfavorable neighborhood conditions are linked to health disparities. Yet, a dearth of literature examines how neighborhood characteristics contribute to cognitive health in diverse samples of older adults. The present study uses an intersectional approach to examine how race/ethnicity, gender, and education moderate the association between neighborhood perceptions and cognitive functioning in later life. We used data from adults ≥65 years old (n = 8023) in the 2010–2016 waves of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We conducted race/ethnicity-stratified linear regression models where cognitive functioning, measured using the 35-point Telephone Interview Cognitive Screen (TICS), was regressed on three neighborhood characteristics—cleanliness, safety, and social cohesion. We examine whether there is heterogeneity within race/ethnicity by testing if and how the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and cognitive functioning differs by gender and education. Among White adults, worse neighborhood characteristics were associated with lower cognitive functioning among those with less education. However, for Black adults, poor perceived quality of one’s neighborhood was associated with worse cognitive functioning among those with more years of education compared to those with fewer years of education. Among Mexicans, perceived neighborhood uncleanliness was associated with lower cognitive functioning among those with less education, but higher cognitive functioning for those with higher levels of education. Thus, this study contributes to the literature on racial/ethnic disparities in cognitive aging disparities by examining neighborhood contextual factors as determinants of cognitive functioning. In particular, we find that higher education in the context of less favorable neighborhood environments does not confer the same benefits to cognitive functioning among all older adults.

scholarly journals Perceived Everyday Discrimination and C- Reactive Protein Influence on Cognition of Older Black Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 1049-1049
Author(s):  
Sydney Kirven ◽  
Amy Thierry ◽  
Heather Farmer
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Black Adults ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Poor Cognition ◽  
Everyday Discrimination

Abstract Black adults and women are more likely to experience serious cognitive decline in older age than their white and male counterparts. Evidence suggests perceived discrimination is associated with poor cognition in older adults, though the mechanisms remain unclear. Perceived discrimination has been linked to elevated inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), which increases risk for worse cognitive functioning. Yet, little research has investigated whether CRP is implicated in the association between discrimination and cognition among Black older adults or if this relationship differs by gender. Using 2006-2016 data from Black adults ≥65 years old(N=1343) in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, random effects linear regression models (1) tested the association between discrimination and cognitive functioning; (2) explored whether this relationship differed for women and men; and (3) assessed whether elevated CRP mediated the association between discrimination and cognitive functioning. More frequent discrimination was associated with worse cognitive functioning (b= -0.24, SE=0.11, p<0.05), though gender did not moderate this relationship. Elevated CRP was significantly associated with worse cognitive functioning (b= 0.40, SE=0.18, p<0.05). Discrimination remained statistically significant in this model, indicating no mediation by CRP. Of note, inclusion of depressive symptoms and cardiometabolic conditions accounted for the association between both discrimination and CRP with cognitive functioning. These findings demonstrate the need for more within-group research on older Black adults documenting the complex relationship between discrimination, inflammation, and cognitive health. This approach will provide greater understanding of the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying disparities in cognitive functioning in Black adults.

scholarly journals Association between Personal Social Capital and Loneliness among Widowed Older People

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongdong Jiang ◽  
Yitan Hou ◽  
Jinwei Hao ◽  
Jiayi Zhou ◽  
Junfeng Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Older People ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

To explore the association between the personal social capital and loneliness among the widowed older adults in China. Data from 1497 widowed older adults were extracted from China’s Health-Related Quality of Life Survey for Older Adults 2018. The Chinese version of the Personal Social Capital Scale (PSCS-16) was used to evaluate the participants’ status of bonding and bridging social capital (BOC and BRC). Loneliness was assessed by the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8). Multiple linear regression models were established to examine the relationship between social capital and loneliness. The BOC and BRC of rural widowed older people were significantly lower than those of widowed older people in urban areas, while loneliness of rural widowed older people was higher than that of widowed older people in urban areas. The result of the final model showed that loneliness of rural participants was significantly associated with both BOC (B = 0.141, p = 0.001) and BRC (B = −0.116, p = 0.003). The loneliness of the urban widowed sample had no association with both BOC and BRC (p > 0.05). These findings suggested that more social support and compassionate care should be provided to enrich the personal social capital and thus to reduce loneliness of widowed older adults, especially those in rural areas.

scholarly journals Psychological Well-Being of Older Adults With Cognitive Deterioration During Quarantine: Preliminary Results From the GeroCovid Initiative

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Coin ◽  
Maria Devita ◽  
Caterina Trevisan ◽  
Francesca Biasin ◽  
Camilla Terziotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Population ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Emotional Life ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: The spread of COVID-19 has undeniably unsettled the social, psychological and emotional life of the entire world population. Particular attention should be paid to older adults with dementia, given their vulnerability to emotional stressors. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the impact of the first wave quarantine related to Covid-19 on psychological and affective well-being of older adults with mild/major neurocognitive disorders and of their caregivers.Methods: Data on participants' assessment before the quarantine (PREQ) were retrospectively collected. Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia were recruited from different Centers for Cognitive Decline and Dementia in Italy. During the quarantine, psychological and affective well-being were evaluated by phone through the administrations of scales measuring anxiety and depression (DASS), perceived stress (PSS), coping strategies (COPE) and the caregivers' burden (CBI). The scales' results were compared across participants' PREQ cognitive level (Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE ≥25, 23–24, and ≤ 22) with multiple linear regression models.Results: The sample included 168 patients (64% women) with a mean age of 79 ± 7 years. After adjusting for potential confounders, more severe cognitive impairment was independently associated with higher DASS and PSS score, and poorer coping strategies (p < 0.05). Cognitive functioning was also inversely associated with CBI.Conclusions: The impact of the quarantine on the psycho-affective well-being of individuals with MCI and dementia and on caregivers' burden varies according to the PREQ cognitive functioning with more severely impaired patients having worse outcomes.

The Promise, Practicalities, and Perils of Virtually Auditing Neighborhoods Using Google Street View

2016 ◽  
Vol 669 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. M. Bader ◽  
Stephen J. Mooney ◽  
Blake Bennett ◽  
Andrew G. Rundle
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
New York ◽  
Neighborhood Characteristics ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions ◽  
Geographic Scope ◽  
Google Street View ◽  
Street View ◽  
Neighborhood Level

In-person audits to collect data on neighborhood characteristics offer opportunities to study the mechanisms that link neighborhood conditions to unequal outcomes for individuals and communities, but the expense and logistical difficulties associated with conducting neighborhood audits have limited their use. The images collected by Google Street View provide a promising alternative for researchers to measure neighborhood environments across cities and to examine how neighborhood conditions vary across a wider geographic scope. We describe the benefits of using “virtual” neighborhood audits and discuss the practicalities of collecting data from virtual audits. We provide an example of individual- and neighborhood-level inequality in the distribution of disorder for older adults across four cities: New York, San Jose, Philadelphia, and Detroit. Despite the promise of virtual audits, they also introduce perils that must be addressed as research progresses; we introduce and discuss those perils here.

scholarly journals Digital Health Information as Friend or Foe: The Question of (Mis)Trust Among Older Internet Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Gul Seckin ◽  
Patricia Campbell ◽  
Megan Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Older Age ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Gathering health information is among the major motivations for getting online among older adults who want to be better prepared with knowledge to manage their health and personal care. Prior research also showed significant gender differences in health-related use of the Internet. This research examined the effect of Internet use for health information on (a) mistrust of physician, (b) empowerment, (c) self-care, and (d) worry and/or anxiety. The sample (N=710; Mean= 48.82, SD=16.43) was randomly drawn from a national probability-based online panel. We performed gender-stratified sub-sample analyses of older respondents (age ≥60, N= 194). Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that there is a negative association between older age and feeling empowered because of using the internet for health information (β = -.23, p < .05) and a positive association between older age and mistrust of diagnosis and/or treatment of physician (β = .19, p < .05). Study respondents did not report better self-care as a result of obtaining information from the Internet (β = -.15, p > .05). Lastly, older adults reported less worry and/or anxiety because of information stumbled upon the Internet that may not be accurate (β = -.25, p < .05). Sub-sample analyses showed that there are gender differences. Particularly, older men reported greater mistrust (β = .32, p < .05), and less worry (β = -.44, p ≤ .01) while these associations were not significant among older women. Results call for examination of the synergy of age and gender in perceived benefits of health-related Internet use.

Perceived Neighborhood and Walking Among Older Brazilian Adults Living in Urban Areas: A National Study (ELSI-Brazil)

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Bruno de Souza Moreira ◽  
Amanda Cristina de Souza Andrade ◽  
Luciana de Souza Braga ◽  
Alessandra de Carvalho Bastone ◽  
Juliana Lustosa Torres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Physical Disorder ◽  
National Study ◽  
Neighborhood Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional

The study goal was to examine the association between perceived neighborhood characteristics and walking in urban older adults in Brazil. A cross-sectional study including 4,027 older adults from the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil) was performed. Walking was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Neighborhood characteristics were questions about physical disorder, noise pollution, safety, violence, social cohesion, services, concerns with community mobility, and pleasantness. Multinomial logistic regression was used. Concern about taking the bus, subway, or train was inversely associated with walking for men. Violence (victim of theft, robbery, or had home broken into) and social cohesion (trust in neighbors) were positively and inversely associated with walking for women, respectively. A significant interaction term between social cohesion and number of chronic diseases was observed for women. These findings demonstrate the need for sex-specific interventions and policies to increase the walking levels among older Brazilian adults.

scholarly journals ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS AND SITTING PATTERNS IN OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S21-S21
Author(s):  
Mikael Anne Greenwood-Hickman ◽  
Rod L Walker ◽  
KatieRose Richmire ◽  
Andrea LaCroix ◽  
Eric B Larson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Neighborhood Characteristics ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Neighborhood Walkability ◽  
Sit To Stand ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Neighborhood characteristics are associated with self-reported sedentary behavior (SB) in older adults. However, self-report measures are not able to accurately assess total sitting time nor detailed patterns of SB. This analysis explores the relationship between device-based SB variables from activPAL and neighborhood characteristics (demographics) in the ACT cohort. Neighborhood characteristics were assessed with the modified Physical Activity Neighborhood Environment Scale (PANES; scored 1.0-4.0, higher score, higher walkability). Data were analyzed using linear regression models adjusted for demographic factors. Higher PANES score was associated with higher daily steps (+1180 daily steps/point on PANES, p<0.001) and sit-to-stand transitions (+2.7 daily transitions/point on PANES, p=0.004). Confirming other studies, neighborhood walkability promotes physical activity. A novel finding was that sitting interruptions, which can only be assessed with devices, were also associated with higher neighborhood walkability, while total sitting time was not.

scholarly journals Current and Future Directions in Minority Aging: Embracing Interdisciplinary Models

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 98-98
Author(s):  
Heather Farmer ◽  
Amy Thierry ◽  
Keith Whitfield
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Biological Aging ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions ◽  
Minority Aging ◽  
Psychosocial Resilience ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Abstract Racial/ethnic disparities in health among older adults are well-documented. More research is needed to clarify the complex and multifactorial mechanisms underlying these associations. This symposium will feature research that employs innovative theoretical and methodological approaches to understand the biopsychosocial mechanisms that underlie racial/ethnic disparities in older adults’ health and determine sources of within-group heterogeneity in minority aging. Dr. Forrester will integrate stress biology and intersectionality to demonstrate the importance of stress and resilience (e.g., John Henryism) with biological aging within Black adults participating in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Dr. Brown Hughes will present innovative research using data from the African American United Memory and Aging Project (AA-UMAP) on the importance of Alzheimer’s disease-specific knowledge and perceptions among Black older adults. Dr. Gamaldo will employ a within-race approach to understand how knowledge and perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) shape cognitive performance among Black older adults in the AA-UMAP study. Dr. Mitchell will use Health and Retirement Study data to explore the role of midlife stress exposure in accounting for racial disparities in trajectories of cognitive functioning. Drs. Thierry and Farmer will use HRS data to examine how psychosocial resilience (e.g., mastery) affects the relationship between perceived neighborhood conditions (e.g., disorder) and cognition among Black older adults. This work highlights the importance of applying an interdisciplinary lens to move the study of minority aging forward and ultimately, to reduce the unnecessary burden of morbidity and mortality among minoritized groups.

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