A new study suggests that people living in poorer neighborhoods may have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to those living in more well-off areas.
The research, published in the journal Neurology, does not prove that living in a disadvantaged area causes dementia, but it shows a clear link between neighborhood conditions and brain health.
Researchers from Rush University in Chicago studied 6,781 people with an average age of 72.
Participants lived in four different neighborhoods in Chicago and were given thinking and memory tests at the start of the study and then every three years for at least six years.
Neighborhood disadvantage was measured using U.S. Census data, which includes information about income, education, employment, and disability levels in small areas called Census tracts.
Over time, 2,534 participants were closely studied for signs of dementia. The study found a clear trend: as neighborhood disadvantage increased, so did the rate of Alzheimer’s disease. About 11% of people in the least disadvantaged areas developed dementia, compared to 22% in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Even after taking into account other risk factors like age, education, and gender, people in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods were more than twice as likely to develop dementia as those in the least disadvantaged areas.
Dr. Pankaja Desai, the lead researcher, said, “Our findings show that the community in which you live can affect your risk of developing dementia. Many past studies focus on personal risk factors, but we wanted to look at the community level.”
The study also found that people living in disadvantaged neighborhoods had faster declines in memory and thinking skills—about 25% faster than those in more advantaged areas.
Interestingly, the study also showed that more Black participants lived in disadvantaged areas, while more white participants lived in better-off neighborhoods. However, once neighborhood conditions were considered, the difference in dementia risk between Black and white participants disappeared.
The researchers say these results highlight the importance of supporting and investing in disadvantaged communities to help protect brain health in older adults.
One limitation of the study is that all participants lived in Chicago, so the results might not apply to people in other cities or countries. Still, the study offers important insight into how where we live can affect our brain health as we age.
If you care about dementia, please read studies about dietary strategies to ward off dementia, and how omega-3 fatty acids fuel your mind.
For more health information, please see recent studies about Choline deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and what to eat (and avoid) for dementia prevention.
