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Multilevel and multidimensional features of socioeconomic status and cognitive function in older adulthood: a cross-sectional analysis of the IGNITE study
Jermon A. Drake, Lu Wan, Chaeryon Kang, Peter J. Gianaros, Patricio Solis‐Urra, Haiqing Huang, Rebecca G. Reed, Charles H. Hillman et al.. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 2025-08-18
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
[95% CI] = 0.148 [0.077-0.219]; executive function, 0.138 [0.067-0.208]; episodic memory, 0.020 [-0.051 to 0.091]; working memory, 0.128 [0.059-0.197]; visuospatial processing, 0.094 [0.023-0.164]) outperformed area-level SES in detecting cognitive deficits, and demonstrated widespread associations with poorer performance across cognitive domains. On average, individuals categorized into the lowest objective SES quartile performed between 0.22 and 0.58 standard deviations lower than those in the highest quartile across domains (processing speed, pairwise adjusted mean difference [95% CI] = 0.580 [0.304-0.856]; executive function, 0.556 [0.282-0.829]; episodic memory, 0.223 [-0.054 to 0.499]; working memory, 0.516 [0.248-0.784]; visuospatial processing, 0.434 [0.161-0.706]). A novel objective SES composite showed robust associations with cognition above and beyond traditional SES measures. All findings are subject to missing at random assumptions. Standard measures of objective SES may underestimate the broad cognitive burden of socioeconomic inequity. Integrating multiple financial indicators into future studies may improve estimation of the public health impact of socioeconomic conditions in older adulthood. Funding: National Institutes of Health (R01AG053952).
Key findings
- [95% CI] = 0.148 [0.077-0.219]; executive function, 0.138 [0.067-0.208]; episodic memory, 0.020 [-0.051 to 0.091]; working memory, 0.128 [0.059-0.197]; visuospatial processing, 0.094 [0.023-0.164]) outperformed area-level SES in detecting cognitive deficits, and demonstrated widespread associations with poorer performance across cognitive domains.
- On average, individuals categorized into the lowest objective SES quartile performed between 0.22 and 0.58 standard deviations lower than those in the highest quartile across domains (processing speed, pairwise adjusted mean difference [95% CI] = 0.580 [0.304-0.856]; executive function, 0.556 [0.282-0.829]; episodic memory, 0.223 [-0.054 to 0.499]; working memory, 0.516 [0.248-0.784]; visuospatial processing, 0.434 [0.161-0.706]).
- A novel objective SES composite showed robust associations with cognition above and beyond traditional SES measures.
- All findings are subject to missing at random assumptions.
- Standard measures of objective SES may underestimate the broad cognitive burden of socioeconomic inequity.
Why it matters
This cross-sectional analysis found that individual-level socioeconomic status was linked to cognitive performance in older adults. It does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Lancet Regional Health - Americas) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | The Lancet Regional Health - Americas: journal h-index 61 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| 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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 6 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 6 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Lauren E. Oberlin: h-index 20 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Pittsburgh: institution h-index 1,470 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40894270) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101206
- PubMed: 40894270
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Drake, J. A., Wan, L., Kang, C., Gianaros, P. J., Solis‐Urra, P., Huang, H., et al. (2025). Multilevel and multidimensional features of socioeconomic status and cognitive function in older adulthood: a cross-sectional analysis of the IGNITE study. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2025.101206
Vancouver
Drake JA, Wan L, Kang C, Gianaros PJ, Solis‐Urra P, Huang H, et al. Multilevel and multidimensional features of socioeconomic status and cognitive function in older adulthood: a cross-sectional analysis of the IGNITE study. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.lana.2025.101206. PMID: 40894270.
BibTeX
@article{drake2025-40894270,
author = {Drake, Jermon A. and Wan, Lu and Kang, Chaeryon and Gianaros, Peter J. and Solis‐Urra, Patricio and Huang, Haiqing and Reed, Rebecca G. and Hillman, Charles H. and others},
title = {{Multilevel and multidimensional features of socioeconomic status and cognitive function in older adulthood: a cross-sectional analysis of the IGNITE study}},
journal = {The Lancet Regional Health - Americas},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.lana.2025.101206},
pmid = {40894270},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2025.101206}
}
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