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Fast-food for thought: Retail food environments as resources for cognitive health and wellbeing among aging Americans?
Finlay Jessica, Esposito Michael, Tang Sandra, Gomez-Lopez Iris, Sylvers Dominique, Judd Suzanne, Clarke Philippa. Health & place, 2020-08-26
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
In this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, interviews with 125 adults aged 55-92 (mean age 71) living in the Minneapolis (Minnesota) metropolitan area suggested that eateries, including coffee shops and fast-food restaurants, represent popular neighborhood destinations for older adults and sources of wellbeing. Thematic analysis of how older adults perceived and utilized local eateries included sites of familiarity and comfort; physical and economic accessibility; sociability with friends, family, staff, and customers; and entertainment (e.g., destinations for outings and walks, free newspapers to read). To test the hypothesis that these sites, and the benefits they confer, are associated with cognitive welfare, we analyzed data from urban and suburban community-dwelling participants in the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national racially diverse sample of older Americans followed since 2003 (n = 16,404, average age at assessment 72 years). Results from multilevel linear regression models of these data demonstrated a positive association between kernel density of local eateries and cognitive functioning, which corroborated qualitative findings. Taken together, these results complicate our understanding of casual eatery settings as possible sites of wellbeing through social interaction and leisure activities. Results prompt further research investigating whether and how retail food environments can serve as community spaces for older adults that may help buffer against cognitive decline.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Jessica, F., Michael, E., Sandra, T., Iris, G.-L., Dominique, S., Suzanne, J., et al. (2020). Fast-food for thought: Retail food environments as resources for cognitive health and wellbeing among aging Americans? Health & place. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102379
Vancouver
Jessica F, Michael E, Sandra T, Iris G.-L, Dominique S, Suzanne J, et al. Fast-food for thought: Retail food environments as resources for cognitive health and wellbeing among aging Americans? Health & place. 2020. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102379. PMID: 32838895.
BibTeX
@article{jessica2020-32838895,
author = {Jessica, Finlay and Michael, Esposito and Sandra, Tang and Iris, Gomez-Lopez and Dominique, Sylvers and Suzanne, Judd and Philippa, Clarke},
title = {{Fast-food for thought: Retail food environments as resources for cognitive health and wellbeing among aging Americans?}},
journal = {Health \& place},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102379},
pmid = {32838895},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102379}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- In this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, interviews with 125 adults aged 55-92 (mean age 71) living in the Minneapolis (Minnesota) metropolitan area suggested that eateries, including coffee shops and fast-food restaurants, represent popular neighborhood destinations for older adults and sources of wellbeing.
- To test the hypothesis that these sites, and the benefits they confer, are associated with cognitive welfare, we analyzed data from urban and suburban community-dwelling participants in the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national racially diverse sample of older Americans followed since 2003 (n = 16,404, average age at assessment 72 years).
- Results from multilevel linear regression models of these data demonstrated a positive association between kernel density of local eateries and cognitive functioning, which corroborated qualitative findings.
- Taken together, these results complicate our understanding of casual eatery settings as possible sites of wellbeing through social interaction and leisure activities.
- Results prompt further research investigating whether and how retail food environments can serve as community spaces for older adults that may help buffer against cognitive decline.
Why it matters
This study found that older adults often visit local eateries for social contact and wellbeing, and that more eateries in a neighborhood was linked to better cognitive functioning. It is an exploratory study and does not show that eateries cause better cognition or prevent dementia.
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Study details
- Participants16,404
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Health & place) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Health & Place: journal h-index 177 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 16,404 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 52 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-17) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.5 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 30 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Philippa J Clarke: h-index 49 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Michigan: institution h-index 2,222 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32838895) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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