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48/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 48 out of 100. Risk factors

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

Background Low socioeconomic status is associated with a higher risk for a number of health conditions, including cognitive impairment. Objective While the association with economic indicators has been well researched, aim of this paper was to investigate specifically the association between non-economic social deprivation and cognitive functioning later in life. Methods Participants without objective cognitive impairment at baseline (n = 91 controls, n = 106 with subjective cognitive decline) of the multicenter DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE) filled out a posthoc survey on social deprivation. Factor analysis identified four non-economic domains of social deprivation (Residential area conditions, Accessibility, Neighborhood support, Household distress). Cognition was assessed via the CERAD neuropsychological battery. Analyses were conducted using linear regression models as well as maximum-likelihood mixed-effects models adjusted for age, gender, years of education, marital status, depression, BMI, heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Results At the time of the survey, cognitive functioning was significantly lower among participants with high deprivation ( b = −0.21, p = 0.037). These participants also had a faster rate of cognitive decline ( b = −0.07, p = 0.006). Analyses of the deprivation sub-scores revealed statistically significant effects only for Accessibility ( b = −0.31, p = 0.001; rate of cognitive decline b = −0.07, p = 0.004). Conclusions Our findings suggest that non-economic social deprivation, especially in terms of access to a grocery store, pharmacy, postal office, and bus stop, might be relevant for maintaining cognitive functioning in old age. Further research should explore potential mechanisms of how these environmental conditions affect brain aging and neurodegenerative processes.

Key findings

Background Low socioeconomic status is associated with a higher risk for a number of health conditions, including cognitive impairment.
Results At the time of the survey, cognitive functioning was significantly lower among participants with high deprivation ( b = −0.21, p = 0.037).
Analyses of the deprivation sub-scores revealed statistically significant effects only for Accessibility ( b = −0.31, p = 0.001; rate of cognitive decline b = −0.07, p = 0.004).
Conclusions Our findings suggest that non-economic social deprivation, especially in terms of access to a grocery store, pharmacy, postal office, and bus stop, might be relevant for maintaining cognitive functioning in old age.

Why it matters

In the DELCODE study, people with higher non-economic social deprivation had lower cognitive functioning and faster cognitive decline, with significant effects only for the Accessibility domain. This links social conditions to cognition but does not test a treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.

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Study details

Study designlongitudinal study
Participants91
Evidence strengthModerate

How this study scored 48/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 46 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 48 out of 100.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer s Disease)
Journal's citation record	2 / 4	Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (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	5 / 5	2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	1 / 4	91 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)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation 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 2 year(s) since 2026
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	OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author the DELCODE Study Group holds only 5 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score
Institution's track record	1 / 3	University of Edinburgh: institution h-index 1,378 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	3 / 3	OpenAlex lists 15 institution(s) in 2 countries
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42115891)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Points	46 / 96	Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 46 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 48 out of 100.
Total	48 / 100	—

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Read the original

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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

Rodriguez, F. S., Kleineidam, L., Hoffmann, W., Peters, O., Gref, D., Senden, L. D. z., et al. (2026). Non-economic social deprivation and cognitive functioning later in life: Results from the DELCODE study. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877261449395

Vancouver

Rodriguez FS, Kleineidam L, Hoffmann W, Peters O, Gref D, Senden LDz, et al. Non-economic social deprivation and cognitive functioning later in life: Results from the DELCODE study. Journal of Alzheimer s Disease. 2026. doi:10.1177/13872877261449395. PMID: 42115891.

BibTeX

@article{rodriguez2026-42115891,
  author  = {Rodriguez, Francisca Saveria and Kleineidam, Luca and Hoffmann, Wolfgang and Peters, Oliver and Gref, Daria and Senden, Louise Droste zu and Priller, Josef and Spruth, Eike Jakob and others},
  title   = {{Non-economic social deprivation and cognitive functioning later in life: Results from the DELCODE study}},
  journal = {Journal of Alzheimer s Disease},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1177/13872877261449395},
  pmid    = {42115891},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1177/13872877261449395}
}

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