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Neighborhood walkability, healthy food environments, and cognitive decline over 14 years among midlife women: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation
Jinshil Hyun, Bradley M. Appelhans, Charles B. Hall, Emma J.W. Barinas-Mitchell, Rebecca C. Thurston, Carrie A. Karvonen‐Gutierrez, Monique M. Hedderson, İmke Janssen et al.. Alzheimer s & Dementia, 2025-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Women living in areas with higher walkability showed slower rates of decline in immediate (estimate=0.019, SE=0.009) and delayed recall (estimate=0.018, SE=0.008) (Figure 1). The pattern of results stayed similar after controlling baseline physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors. A significant walkability × financial strain interaction (estimate=0.194, SE=0.077) suggested that women exhibited lower immediate recall when they experienced higher financial strain, but only in areas with low walkability. For healthy food environments, there were no significant associations with any cognitive domains. However, significant three-way food environments × race × time interactions for working memory (estimate=0.031, SE=0.013) and delayed recall (estimate=0.056, SE=0.022) suggested that healthy food environments were protective against more accelerated cognitive decline among Japanese women compared to White women. Midlife women living in more walkable areas experienced slower decline in episodic memory over the 14-year period spanning midlife. Healthy food environments showed different effects on cognitive decline across racial/ethnic groups. Future studies should investigate precise mechanisms that underline the observed associations to identify targeted policy recommendations and intervention strategies.
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APA 7th
Hyun, J., Appelhans, B. M., Hall, C. B., Barinas-Mitchell, E. J., Thurston, R. C., Karvonen‐Gutierrez, C. A., et al. (2025). Neighborhood walkability, healthy food environments, and cognitive decline over 14 years among midlife women: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Alzheimer s & Dementia. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70860_097856
Vancouver
Hyun J, Appelhans BM, Hall CB, Barinas-Mitchell EJ, Thurston RC, Karvonen‐Gutierrez CA, et al. Neighborhood walkability, healthy food environments, and cognitive decline over 14 years among midlife women: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. Alzheimer s & Dementia. 2025. doi:10.1002/alz70860_097856. PMID: 41433911.
BibTeX
@article{hyun2025-41433911,
author = {Hyun, Jinshil and Appelhans, Bradley M. and Hall, Charles B. and Barinas-Mitchell, Emma J.W. and Thurston, Rebecca C. and Karvonen‐Gutierrez, Carrie A. and Hedderson, Monique M. and Janssen, İmke and others},
title = {{Neighborhood walkability, healthy food environments, and cognitive decline over 14 years among midlife women: Study of Women's Health Across the Nation}},
journal = {Alzheimer s \& Dementia},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/alz70860_097856},
pmid = {41433911},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70860_097856}
}
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.
Key findings
- Women living in areas with higher walkability showed slower rates of decline in immediate (estimate=0.019, SE=0.009) and delayed recall (estimate=0.018, SE=0.008) (Figure 1).
- The pattern of results stayed similar after controlling baseline physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors.
- A significant walkability × financial strain interaction (estimate=0.194, SE=0.077) suggested that women exhibited lower immediate recall when they experienced higher financial strain, but only in areas with low walkability.
- For healthy food environments, there were no significant associations with any cognitive domains.
- However, significant three-way food environments × race × time interactions for working memory (estimate=0.031, SE=0.013) and delayed recall (estimate=0.056, SE=0.022) suggested that healthy food environments were protective against more accelerated cognitive decline among Japanese women compared to White women.
Why it matters
This study found that midlife women in more walkable areas had slower decline in episodic memory over 14 years, while healthy food environments showed no significant overall link to cognition but differed by racial/ethnic group. It suggests neighborhood features may influence cognitive decline, but it does not test a treatment or cure for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people 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 | 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) |
| 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 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| 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 | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Carol A. Derby: h-index 63 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Michigan: institution h-index 2,240 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41433911) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1002/alz70860_097856
- PubMed: 41433911
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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