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Social determinants of health and mild cognitive impairment in a diverse community sample
Mary Ganguli, Erin Patricia Jacobsen, Ruopu Song, Isabella Wood, Ellen Kinnee, Tiffany F. Hughes, Beth Ellen Snitz, Chung‐Chou H. Chang. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2024-11-20
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Abstract Background The associations between community‐wide social determinants of health and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among individuals warrant investigation. Methods Among 2830 dementia‐free individuals aged 65+ years in a community‐based US study, we examined cross‐sectional associations of MCI (Clinical Dementia Rating = 0.5) with the following potential social determinants of health: at the census tract or block group level obtained from public sources: neighborhood disadvantage (Area Deprivation Index, ADI), air pollution with fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), greenspace, Walkability Index, ambulatory healthcare availability per square mile, homicide rate; and at the individual participant level, birth/schooling in a southern US state. Results Unadjusted logistic regression models found higher odds ratios (OR, 95% CI) for MCI with higher ADI (1.01, 1.003–1.02), higher PM 2.5 (1.16, 1.07–1.26), higher homicide rate (1.007, 1.001–1.012), lesser greenspace (0.99, 0.90–0.99), and southern schooling (2.06, 1.6–3.54). Adjusting for age, race, sex, and educational level, ADI remained statistically significant (1.04, 1.01–1.06), while PM 2.5 and Southern state schooling interacted significantly with race and were more strongly affected in Black participants than in White participants. Conclusions In this cohort, several community‐wide social/environmental factors were associated with MCI. While clinicians should continue to encourage older adults to modify their individual risk factors, policy changes are needed to mitigate social determinants of health in the community.
Key findings
- Results Unadjusted logistic regression models found higher odds ratios (OR, 95% CI) for MCI with higher ADI (1.01, 1.003–1.02), higher PM 2.5 (1.16, 1.07–1.26), higher homicide rate (1.007, 1.001–1.012), lesser greenspace (0.99, 0.90–0.99), and southern schooling (2.06, 1.6–3.54).
- Adjusting for age, race, sex, and educational level, ADI remained statistically significant (1.04, 1.01–1.06), while PM 2.5 and Southern state schooling interacted significantly with race and were more strongly affected in Black participants than in White participants.
- Conclusions In this cohort, several community‐wide social/environmental factors were associated with MCI.
Why it matters
This study found that several community-level social and environmental factors, such as neighborhood disadvantage and air pollution, were associated with mild cognitive impairment. These are cross-sectional associations and do not prove that changing these factors would prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, 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 (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (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 | 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 | 2024 — 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 13 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.2 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.5× 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 | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Chung‐Chou H. Chang: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Pittsburgh: institution h-index 1,470 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39563463) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1111/jgs.19251
- PubMed: 39563463
- Original source →
- Free full text: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society →
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 8 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
Ganguli, M., Jacobsen, E. P., Song, R., Wood, I., Kinnee, E., Hughes, T. F., et al. (2024). Social determinants of health and mild cognitive impairment in a diverse community sample. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.19251
Vancouver
Ganguli M, Jacobsen EP, Song R, Wood I, Kinnee E, Hughes TF, et al. Social determinants of health and mild cognitive impairment in a diverse community sample. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2024. doi:10.1111/jgs.19251. PMID: 39563463.
BibTeX
@article{ganguli2024-39563463,
author = {Ganguli, Mary and Jacobsen, Erin Patricia and Song, Ruopu and Wood, Isabella and Kinnee, Ellen and Hughes, Tiffany F. and Snitz, Beth Ellen and Chang, Chung‐Chou H.},
title = {{Social determinants of health and mild cognitive impairment in a diverse community sample}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1111/jgs.19251},
pmid = {39563463},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.19251}
}
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