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Relationship between Residential Segregation, Later-Life Cognition, and Incident Dementia across Race/Ethnicity
Pohl DJ, Seblova D, Avila JF, Dorsman KA, Kulick ER, Casey JA, Manly J.. International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021-10-26
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Systemic racism leads to racial/ethnic residential segregation, which can result in health inequities. We examined if the associations between residential segregation and later-life cognition and dementia differed based on segregation measure and by participant race/ethnicity. Tests of memory ( n = 4616), language ( n = 4333), visuospatial abilities ( n = 4557), and incident dementia ( n = 4556) were analyzed in older residents of Northern Manhattan, New York (mean age: 75.7 years). Segregation was measured at the block group-level using three indices: dissimilarity, isolation, and interaction. We fit multilevel linear or Cox proportional hazards models and included a race/ethnicity × segregation term to test for differential associations, adjusting for socioeconomic and health factors. Living in block groups with higher proportions of minoritized people was associated with -0.05 SD lower language scores. Living in block groups with higher potential contact between racial/ethnic groups was associated with 0.06-0.1 SD higher language scores. The findings were less pronounced for other cognitive domains and for incident dementia. Non-Hispanic Black adults were most likely to experience negative effects of neighborhood segregation on cognition (language and memory) and dementia. All indices partly capture downstream effects of structural racism (i.e., unequal distributions of wealth/resources) on cognition. Therefore, desegregation and equitable access to resources have the potential to improve later-life cognitive health.
Key findings
- Systemic racism leads to racial/ethnic residential segregation, which can result in health inequities.
- Living in block groups with higher proportions of minoritized people was associated with -0.05 SD lower language scores.
- Living in block groups with higher potential contact between racial/ethnic groups was associated with 0.06-0.1 SD higher language scores.
Why it matters
This study examined whether living in racially segregated neighborhoods was linked to thinking and dementia in older adults. It found some links between segregation and lower language scores, especially for non-Hispanic Black adults, but it does not test any treatment or cure.
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Study details
- Participants4,616
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 57/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International journal of environmental research and public health) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: journal h-index 320 (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 | 3 / 5 | 2021 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 4,616 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 68 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.7 citations a year over 7 year(s) since 2021 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 46 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Jennifer J. Manly: h-index 101 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Columbia University: institution h-index 1,824 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 34769752) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 57 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111233
- PubMed: 34769752
- Original source →
- Free full text: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health →
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 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.
APA 7th
Pohl, D. J., Seblova, D., Avila, J. F., Dorsman, K. A., Kulick, E. R., Casey, J. A., et al. (2021). Relationship between Residential Segregation, Later-Life Cognition, and Incident Dementia across Race/Ethnicity. International journal of environmental research and public health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111233
Vancouver
Pohl DJ, Seblova D, Avila JF, Dorsman KA, Kulick ER, Casey JA, et al. Relationship between Residential Segregation, Later-Life Cognition, and Incident Dementia across Race/Ethnicity. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021. doi:10.3390/ijerph182111233. PMID: 34769752.
BibTeX
@article{pohl2021-34769752,
author = {Pohl, D. J. and Seblova, D. and Avila, J. F. and Dorsman, K. A. and Kulick, E. R. and Casey, J. A. and Manly, J.},
title = {{Relationship between Residential Segregation, Later-Life Cognition, and Incident Dementia across Race/Ethnicity}},
journal = {International journal of environmental research and public health},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.3390/ijerph182111233},
pmid = {34769752},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111233}
}
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