School of Social Work, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Gerontologist. 2022 May 26;62(5):662-673. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnab158.
Ethnic enclaves provide pivotal coping resources for immigrants, having important implications for cognitive health. This study examined the association between living in an ethnic enclave (i.e., Chinatown) and cognition, and potential moderating effect of education on such an association among Chinese older immigrants in the United States. We further examined subgroup differences based on preferred language (Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taishanese).
Data were derived from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (N = 3,105, mean age = 73). Global cognition, assessed by a battery including Mini-Mental State Examination, working memory, episodic memory, and executive function, was compared between those who lived in Chinatown (n = 1,870) and those who did not (n = 1,235). Linear regressions with interaction terms were performed in the entire sample and subsamples with different language preferences.
Chinatown residents had significantly poorer cognition than non-Chinatown residents. Regression results identified both protective and risk factors for cognition associated with living in Chinatown. Among them, education (β = 0.072, p < .001) played a salient role in explaining the cognitive disadvantage of Chinatown residents. Education also moderated the influence of Chinatown residence on cognition, but only among Mandarin speakers (β = -0.027, p = .04).
Living in an ethnic enclave may be a risk factor for poor cognition for Chinese immigrants. Neighborhood-specific health assessment may facilitate early identification and prevention of cognitive impairment in this population. Studies need to examine divergent aging experiences of immigrants within single ethnic groups.
族裔飞地为移民提供了重要的应对资源，对认知健康具有重要影响。本研究考察了生活在族裔飞地（即唐人街）与认知之间的关联，以及教育对美国中国老年移民这种关联的潜在调节作用。我们还根据首选语言（普通话、粤语和泰语）进一步考察了亚组差异。
数据来自芝加哥华人老年人口研究（N=3105，平均年龄=73 岁）。通过包括简易精神状态检查、工作记忆、情景记忆和执行功能在内的一系列测试，比较了居住在唐人街（n=1870）和不居住在唐人街（n=1235）的人群的整体认知能力。在整个样本和不同语言偏好的亚组中，进行了带有交互项的线性回归。
唐人街居民的认知能力明显差于非唐人街居民。回归结果确定了与居住在唐人街相关的认知保护和风险因素。其中，教育（β=0.072，p<0.001）在解释唐人街居民认知劣势方面发挥了重要作用。教育也调节了唐人街居住对认知的影响，但仅在普通话使用者中（β=-0.027，p=0.04）。
生活在族裔飞地可能是中国移民认知能力下降的一个风险因素。针对特定邻里的健康评估可能有助于早期识别和预防该人群的认知障碍。研究需要检验同一族裔移民的不同衰老经验。
