Recent research underscores the importance of designing neighbourhoods that support cognitive health in older adults with various socioeconomic profiles.
The research, published in Science of the Total Environment, examined data from the 60+ years cohort of the Personality and Total Health Through Life (PATH) project, an on-going population-based longitudinal cohort study of mental and cognitive health in Australia. Across a 12-year follow-up period, researchers aimed to understand whether socioeconomic indicators moderated the relationship between the neighbourhood environment and cognitive health in older adults. A lead author Prof Ester Cerin emphasised that multiple socioeconomic indicators, which include area-level status of the neighbourhood, homeownership, financial problems and education, should be studied together as moderators of the neighbourhood-cognition associations to disentangle how to support cognitive health in older residents of various socioeconomic profiles.
The authors found that neighbourhoods with a variety of non-commercial services, more trees and interconnected streets favoured the less educated and those reporting financial problems. On the other hand, population density and more parks benefited those with more years of education. Non-homeowners living in populated neighbourhoods with high concentrations of PM2.5 had poorer cognitive health. Better access to services benefited more residents of high- than low-socioeconomic status neighbourhoods.
The study sends an important message to the community, urban designers, architectures, policymakers and the government – cognitive benefits and costs of living in certain neighbourhoods are not shared equally in older adults. The findings underscore the importance of designing neighbourhoods that support cognitive health in older adults with various socioeconomic profiles. It is now the time for equity-driven urban planning and design, so cities are cognitively good for all residents.