Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Clemson University, South Carolina.
Department of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Boston.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2019 Sep 15;74(7):e60-e71. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbz016.
Despite the growing interest in the effects of neighborhood environments on cognitive function, most studies on older people are based on cross-sectional survey data from developed countries. This study examines the relationship between neighborhood environments and decline in cognitive function over time among middle-aged and older people in China and whether this relationship varies between rural and urban residents.
The three waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS 2011-2015) were used. The sample included 12,131 respondents living in 298 rural villages and 4,059 respondents living in 150 urban communities. Three-level linear growth curve models were estimated to track trajectories of cognitive change over a 4-year period.
Chinese older people who lived in neighborhoods with more handicap access, more bus lines, employment service, and higher socioeconomic status (SES) had slower cognitive decline. Neighborhood basic infrastructures, number of days that roads were unpassable, outdoor exercise facilities, and average social activity participation were associated with baseline cognitive function in both rural and urban areas, but neighborhood environments had more impact on cognitive decline among rural older adults than urban older adults.
Findings from this study call for increased infrastructure development and community building programs in rural China.
尽管人们对邻里环境对认知功能的影响越来越感兴趣，但大多数针对老年人的研究都基于来自发达国家的横断面调查数据。本研究考察了中国中老年人邻里环境与认知功能随时间下降之间的关系，以及这种关系在农村和城市居民之间是否存在差异。
本研究使用了中国健康与养老追踪调查（CHARLS）2011-2015 年的三波数据。样本包括居住在 298 个农村村庄的 12131 名受访者和居住在 150 个城市社区的 4059 名受访者。采用三级线性增长曲线模型来追踪 4 年内认知变化的轨迹。
居住在通行障碍较少、公交线路较多、有就业服务和较高社会经济地位（SES）的邻里的中国老年人认知衰退速度较慢。邻里的基本基础设施、道路无法通行的天数、户外锻炼设施和平均社会活动参与度与农村和城市地区的认知功能基线相关，但邻里环境对农村老年人认知衰退的影响大于城市老年人。
本研究的结果呼吁中国农村地区增加基础设施建设和社区建设项目。
