Logo image
Back
Gentrification and Cognitive Aging: Examining Neighborhood Change and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Preprint

Gentrification and Cognitive Aging: Examining Neighborhood Change and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Yvonne L Michael, Kari Moore, Lilah M Besser, Timothy M Hughes, Reyhaneh Akbar Nejad Yazdi, Kathleen M Hayden and Jana A Hirsch
Research Square
18 Jun 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9985996/v1
url
https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9985996/v1View
Open

Abstract

We examined whether neighborhood gentrification is associated with cognitive change among older adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; n = 1,731). Among participants, 23% resided in continually advantaged neighborhoods, 34% in gentrified neighborhoods, and 43% in continually disadvantaged neighborhoods (2000–2010). A Global Cognitive Composite (GCC) assessed memory, processing speed, and executive function from 2010–2024. Linear mixed-effects models with inverse probability weights estimated cognitive change over 5 years. After adjustment for confounding, GCC declined most in gentrified neighborhoods (− 0.15 SD) and least in continually advantaged neighborhoods (− 0.12 SD), with intermediate decline in continually disadvantaged neighborhoods (− 0.13 SD; p = 0.06). Neighborhood-level change may not confer cognitive protection and could carry risks, even relative to persistently disadvantaged contexts.

Metrics

1 Record Views

Details

Logo image