Home › Research › Risk factors
Area‐level deprivation is associated with rate of memory decline in late life within a community‐based cohort
Victoria J. Williams, Pamela Herd, Kamil Sicinski, Sterling C. Johnson, Sanjay Asthana. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2021-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Abstract Background Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with adverse health outcomes, as well as increased risk for dementia. However, it remains unclear whether area‐level deprivation impacts the rate of age‐related memory decline, especially in community‐based populations. Method We quantified late life neighborhood level disadvantage using the 2013 Area Deprivation Index (ADI) for 2,554 participants with complete data of interest within the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study – a same‐aged, community‐based cohort of randomly selected 1957 Wisconsin high school graduates. Delayed recall for a 10‐item word list was assessed at two timepoints in mid to late life (Time 1 (∼2004): age 64.39 + 0.74 years; and Time 2 (∼2011): age 71.28 + 0.97 years). We used multivariate linear regression models to evaluate whether ADI was associated with memory performance at each time point, and with the annualized rate of change in memory performance over time. Result Increasing ADI was significantly correlated with lower adolescent IQ, less educational attainment, lower net worth, higher vascular risk scores, elevated depression metrics, and increasing age (all p<0.001). Mean ADI did not differ by sex, but was significantly higher in ApoE‐4 positive carriers (t(2552) =2.257, p=0.024). Results of multivariate regression indicated that greater area‐level deprivation (higher ADI) was not associated with delayed recall performance at Time 1 (b = 0.001; 95% CI: ‐0.003 to 0.005, P=0.790), but was associated with poorer delayed recall performance at Time 2 (B = ‐0.004; 95% CI: ‐0.007 to ‐0.001, P=0.019). Higher ADI also predicted greater annualized rate of decline in delayed recall between timepoints (B = ‐0.001; 95% CI: ‐0.001 to ‐9.9^10‐5, P=0.025). These findings held after controlling for individual‐level demographic and socioeconomic variables (age, sex, adolescent IQ, years of education, net worth), genetic risk (ApoE‐4 carrier status), depression, hearing loss, and a modified CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia) risk score calculated at Time 1. Conclusion Even after accounting for established individual‐level demographic, socioeconomic, health, and genetic risk factors for cognitive decline, greater neighborhood disadvantage is associated with an accelerated rate of annualized decline in delayed recall performance across mid to late life in a community sample.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Williams, V. J., Herd, P., Sicinski, K., Johnson, S. C., & Asthana, S. (2021). Area‐level deprivation is associated with rate of memory decline in late life within a community‐based cohort. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.056608
Vancouver
Williams VJ, Herd P, Sicinski K, Johnson SC, Asthana S. Area‐level deprivation is associated with rate of memory decline in late life within a community‐based cohort. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2021. doi:10.1002/alz.056608.
BibTeX
@article{williams2021-ccce1fef,
author = {Williams, Victoria J. and Herd, Pamela and Sicinski, Kamil and Johnson, Sterling C. and Asthana, Sanjay},
title = {{Area‐level deprivation is associated with rate of memory decline in late life within a community‐based cohort}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1002/alz.056608},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.056608}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Abstract Background Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with adverse health outcomes, as well as increased risk for dementia.
- We used multivariate linear regression models to evaluate whether ADI was associated with memory performance at each time point, and with the annualized rate of change in memory performance over time.
- Result Increasing ADI was significantly correlated with lower adolescent IQ, less educational attainment, lower net worth, higher vascular risk scores, elevated depression metrics, and increasing age (all p<0.001).
- Mean ADI did not differ by sex, but was significantly higher in ApoE‐4 positive carriers (t(2552) =2.257, p=0.024).
- Results of multivariate regression indicated that greater area‐level deprivation (higher ADI) was not associated with delayed recall performance at Time 1 (b = 0.001; 95% CI: ‐0.003 to 0.005, P=0.790), but was associated with poorer delayed recall performance at Time 2 (B = ‐0.004; 95% CI: ‐0.007 to ‐0.001, P=0.019).
Why it matters
This study found that greater neighborhood disadvantage was linked to worse memory and faster memory decline in a community-based cohort. It does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Risk factors, ranked →
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Participants2,554
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s & Dementia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 2,554 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Sanjay Asthana: h-index 101 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Wisconsin–Madison: institution h-index 1,518 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it.
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Related studies in Risk factors
Also tagged “controlled”
1,116 studies in the library carry the topic tag “controlled”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,116 tagged studies.