Does Neighbourhood Age Mix Matter? Examining Neighbourhood Age Composition, Social Cohesion, and Trajectories of Wellbeing and Cognitive Function in Later Life

Rachel Wilkie , University of St Andrews
Nissa Finney, University of St Andrews
Jo Mhairi Hale, University of St Andrews
Elspeth Graham, University of St Andrews

Research shows that where someone lives influences their health and wellbeing. However, little research has examined how the demographic composition of neighbourhoods, particularly the age structure or age mix, relates to health and wellbeing. In a context of population ageing, this study informs understandings and interventions for healthy ageing in place by drawing on longitudinal, geographically linked survey data to examine the relationship between residential age mix and health trajectories in later life. This study aims to understand how living in an age-diverse neighbourhood is associated with trajectories of wellbeing and cognition among people aged 50 years and over in England, and how perceived neighbourhood social cohesion moderates the relationship between age mix and health. Using novel geographically linked data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, we fitted growth curve models to examine the association between an individual’s baseline neighbourhood age mix and social cohesion with trajectories of wellbeing and cognitive function scores. Initial results show that people living in older, less diverse neighbourhoods have better wellbeing and cognitive function trajectories. However, our findings for cognitive function trajectories show that among those who report low social cohesion, people who lived in an older neighbourhood had significantly worse trajectories of cognitive function compared to people who lived in a younger or more diverse neighbourhood. This suggests that benefits of neighbourhood age mix for cognitive function in later life are particularly felt for older people who are marginalised in terms of sense of community and belonging.

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 Presented in Session 73. Cognitive Aeging, Dementia and Life Course Determinants of Cognitive Health