Characterizing Novel Neighborhood Factors and Associations with Memory Outcomes in Adults Age 50+ Enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study

Neighborhood environments have been increasingly linked to risk for Alzheimer’s diseaseand related dementias (ADRD). However, few studies have identified which aspects of the builtand social environment are most strongly associated with cognition and how these distinct aspectsmay ultimately contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in ADRD. The present study used census tractand person-level data from the 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 17,642). Factoranalyses were conducted to produce a novel measure of neighborhood context. To examineassociations between neighborhood factors and memory function across the whole sample andwithin racial/ethnic groups, we specified three structural equation models incrementally adjustedfor 1) demographics and health, 2) income/wealth, and 3) race/ethnicity. Factor analyses derivedsocial infrastructure, commercial infrastructure, and housing costs factors. Higher housing costsand greater density of social infrastructure were associated with better memory performance,although the effects of social infrastructure were mitigated by adjustment of individualincome/wealth. Effects were modified by race/ethnicity such that higher housing costs and socialinfrastructure were associated with better memory only among non-Latino White participants. Noeffects of commercial infrastructure on memory were observed. Neighborhood factors weredifferentially associated with memory outcomes. Results suggest that higher housing costs and7access to social infrastructure may be supportive of cognitive health, but the benefits of theseneighborhood factors are not conferred equally across racial/ethnic groups. Interventions thatimprove access to high quality and affordable housing and free services that stimulate socialengagement may have the potential to reduce ADRD disparities