Abstract
The Influence of Contextual and Demographic Factors on Cognitive Aging Trajectories of U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults
Ashly Westrick, PhD, Assistant Scientist, Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University
A growing body of evidence suggests that Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD). Yet the reasons for the increased ADRD incidence among Black and Hispanic Americans, particularly Black women, are not fully understood. Previous research has suggested that contextual determinants such as rural/urban residence and neighborhood disadvantage may contribute to racial disparities in cognitive aging by differentially shaping the availability of and access to resources over individuals’ lifetimes. This pilot study will leverage population-representative, longitudinal data from the US Health and Retirement Study to better understand the implications of rural/urban residence and historical redlining for differential trajectories of cognitive aging by race/ethnicity and sex.