@article {8828, title = {Neighborhood age structure and cognitive function in a nationally-representative sample of older adults in the U.S.}, journal = {Soc Sci Med}, volume = {174}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 02}, pages = {149-158}, abstract = {

Recent evidence suggests that living in a neighborhood with a greater percentage of older adults is associated with better individual health, including lower depression, better self-rated health, and a decreased risk of overall mortality. However, much of the work to date suffers from four limitations. First, none of the U.S.-based studies examine the association at the national level. Second, no studies have examined three important hypothesized mechanisms - neighborhood socioeconomic status and neighborhood social and physical characteristics - which are significantly correlated with both neighborhood age structure and health. Third, no U.S. study has longitudinally examined cognitive health trajectories. We build on this literature by examining nine years of nationally-representative data from the Health and Retirement Study (2002-2010) on men and women aged 51 and over linked with Census data to examine the relationship between the percentage of adults 65 and older in a neighborhood and individual cognitive health trajectories. Our results indicate that living in a neighborhood with a greater percentage of older adults is related to better individual cognition at baseline but we did not find any significant association with cognitive decline. We also explored potential mediators including neighborhood socioeconomic status, perceived neighborhood cohesion and perceived neighborhood physical disorder. We did not find evidence that neighborhood socioeconomic status explains this relationship; however, there is suggestive evidence that perceived cohesion and disorder may explain some of the association between age structure and cognition. Although more work is needed to identify the precise mechanisms, this work may suggest a potential contextual target for public health interventions to prevent cognitive impairment.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognition, Female, Health Status, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Residence Characteristics, Social Support, Socioeconomic factors, United States}, issn = {1873-5347}, doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.12.005}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0277953616306669http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0277953616306669?httpAccept=text/plainhttp://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0277953616306669?httpAccept=text/xml}, author = {Esther M Friedman and Regina A Shih and Mary E Slaughter and Margaret M Weden and Kathleen A. Cagney} } @article {6437, title = {Functioning, Forgetting, or Failing Health: Which Factors Are Associated With a Community-Based Move Among Older Adults?}, journal = {J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci}, volume = {71}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Nov}, pages = {1120-1130}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the health and functioning of middle-aged and older adults are associated with an increased likelihood of community-based moves.

METHOD: Biennial data from adults aged 51 and older in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and discrete-time survival models were used to assess the likelihood of community-based moves from 2000 to 2010 as a function of 11 measures of health and functioning.

RESULTS: Respondents diagnosed with heart disease, stroke, hypertension, lung disease, and psychiatric problems were more likely to move during the study period than those with no such diagnosis. Changes in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living functioning, cognitive impairment, and falls were also related to a greater likelihood of moving during the study period. Cancer and diabetes were not related to overall moves, although diabetes was associated with an increased likelihood of local moves. For the most part, it was longstanding not recent diagnoses that were significantly related to the likelihood of moving.

DISCUSSION: Although some health conditions precipitate moves among middle-aged and older adults, others do not. This work has important implications for understanding the role of different aspects of health and functioning in the likelihood of migration among older adults.

}, keywords = {Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cognitive Dysfunction, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Population Dynamics, Residence Characteristics, United States}, issn = {1758-5368}, doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbv075}, url = {http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2015/10/07/geronb.gbv075.abstract}, author = {Esther M Friedman and Margaret M Weden and Regina A Shih and Stephanie Kovalchik and Singh, Reema and Jos{\'e} J Escarce} }