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NEIGHBORHOOD PARK SPACE AND COGNITION IN NON-DEMENTED OLDER ADULTS: THE MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

NEIGHBORHOOD PARK SPACE AND COGNITION IN NON-DEMENTED OLDER ADULTS: THE MULTI-ETHNIC STUDY OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Lilah M. Besser, James E. Galvin, John Renne, Jana Hirsch, Joel Kaufman and Annette L. Fitzpatrick
Alzheimer's & dementia, v 15(7), P1255
Jul 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.4787
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.4787View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze),  Open

Abstract

Background Greater neighborhood park space has been associated with better cognition among older adults in limited published studies. Park space provides opportunities for physical and social activity and stress reduction, and thus may help improve/maintain cognition in older age. This study examined the association between neighborhood park space and cognition in older adults and potential effect modification of the park space-cognition associations by race/ethnicity. Methods We used cross-sectional Exam 5 data on 4,084 non-demented participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Individuals taking dementia medication or who had a Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument score (CASI) of <20 were excluded, as well as those missing data on neighborhood park space. The park space data were originally developed from municipal and county sources (planning, parks, recreational departments) and Google maps. Park exposure was measured as percent of a ½-mile radial area surrounding each participant's home that included park space. Outcome variables included CASI, Digit Symbol Forward and Backward (DSF, DSB), and Digit Symbol Coding (DSC) tests, measuring global cognition, short-term and working memory, and processing speed. Adjusted multilevel linear regression models examined associations between park space and cognitive measures, controlling for demographics, MESA site, neighborhood socioeconomic status, population density, perceptions of neighborhood safety and crime, arthritis, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and apolipoprotein E genotype. Effect modification by race/ethnicity was tested by including interaction terms in the regression models. Results The mean age was 70 years old, 46% were women, and 11% were Chinese, 27% African American, and 21% Hispanic. The mean percent park space in participants’ neighborhoods was 5.5% (standard deviation = 8.8%). Park space was not associated with cognitive measures. However, associations between park space and cognition varied by race/ethnicity. Compared to the associations for non-Hispanic whites, which were null (CASI, DSF, DSC) or positive (DSB), with greater park space in the neighborhood non-whites (Chinese, African American, and Hispanics combined) performed worse on the CASI, DSB, and DSC. No other associations were significant at alpha=0.05. Conclusions Greater neighborhood park space may be differentially associated with cognition depending on an individual's race/ethnicity. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.

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