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Rural depopulation and the rural‐urban gap in cognitive functioning among older adults
Rebecca Glauber. The Journal of Rural Health, 2022-03-07
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Older adults living in rural counties had lower cognitive functioning than urban adults. The interaction between living in a rural and depopulated county was statistically significant (P < .001). The rural penalty in cognitive functioning was 40% larger for those who lived in counties that lost population between 1980 and 2010 compared to those who lived in stable or growing rural counties. These results were independent of race-ethnicity, gender, age, education, income, region, employment status, marital status, physical health, and depression as well as the county's racial-ethnic composition, age structure, economic and educational disadvantage, and health care shortages. The results have important implications for those seeking to reduce health disparities both between rural and urban older adults and among different groups of rural people. Interventions targeting those living in rural depopulating areas are particularly warranted.
Key findings
- Older adults living in rural counties had lower cognitive functioning than urban adults.
- The interaction between living in a rural and depopulated county was statistically significant (P < .001).
- The rural penalty in cognitive functioning was 40% larger for those who lived in counties that lost population between 1980 and 2010 compared to those who lived in stable or growing rural counties.
- These results were independent of race-ethnicity, gender, age, education, income, region, employment status, marital status, physical health, and depression as well as the county's racial-ethnic composition, age structure, economic and educational disadvantage, and health care shortages.
- The results have important implications for those seeking to reduce health disparities both between rural and urban older adults and among different groups of rural people.
Why it matters
Older adults in rural counties had lower cognitive functioning than urban adults, and this gap was 40% larger in counties that lost population between 1980 and 2010. These findings point to rural depopulating areas as a target for interventions, but the study did not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Participants152,444
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
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 (The Journal of Rural Health) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | The Journal of Rural Health: journal h-index 94 (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 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 4 / 4 | 152,444 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 51 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.5 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.0× 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 | 2 / 4 | Cited 40 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Rebecca Glauber: h-index 18 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of New Hampshire: institution h-index 593 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35257439) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Glauber, R. (2022). Rural depopulation and the rural‐urban gap in cognitive functioning among older adults. The Journal of Rural Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12650
Vancouver
Glauber R. Rural depopulation and the rural‐urban gap in cognitive functioning among older adults. The Journal of Rural Health. 2022. doi:10.1111/jrh.12650. PMID: 35257439.
BibTeX
@article{glauber2022-35257439,
author = {Glauber, Rebecca},
title = {{Rural depopulation and the rural‐urban gap in cognitive functioning among older adults}},
journal = {The Journal of Rural Health},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1111/jrh.12650},
pmid = {35257439},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12650}
}
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