Department of Gerontology, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
Gerontologist. 2022 Oct 19;62(9):1266-1277. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnac022.
Framed within the life course perspective and the neighborhood stress model, this study investigated the association between perceptions of childhood neighborhood social cohesion and cognitive function among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. We also examined whether gender, childhood hukou status, the Chinese national administrative household registration system, and birth cohort moderated the association.
This study used 3 waves of nationally representative data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011-2015; N = 11,469). Cognitive function was measured with the Telephone Interview for Cognition Status instrument. Two-level multilevel modeling was employed to address the research questions.
A higher overall level of childhood neighborhood social cohesion was associated with a higher baseline level of cognitive function (b = 0.26, p < .001) and a slower rate of cognitive decline (b = 0.10, p = .010). Birth cohort membership moderated the linkage between childhood neighborhood social cohesion and the level of cognitive function (b = 0.35, p < .001) and cognitive decline (b = 0.19, p = .014). Gender and childhood hukou status did not moderate these associations.
These findings underscored the long-term ramifications of childhood conditions for later-life cognitive function. Social cohesion at the neighborhood level during childhood may be a factor that promotes healthy cognitive aging.
本研究基于生命历程观和邻里压力模型，探讨了中年和老年中国成年人对儿童时期邻里社会凝聚力的认知与认知功能之间的关系。我们还检验了性别、儿童户口状况、中国国家行政户籍制度以及出生队列是否调节了这种关联。
本研究使用了中国健康与退休纵向研究（2011-2015 年；N=11469）的 3 波全国代表性数据。认知功能采用电话访谈认知状态量表进行测量。采用两层多水平模型来解决研究问题。
儿童时期邻里社会凝聚力的总体水平较高与认知功能的基线水平较高（b=0.26，p<.001）和认知衰退速度较慢（b=0.10，p=0.010）相关。出生队列成员身份调节了儿童时期邻里社会凝聚力与认知功能水平（b=0.35，p<.001）和认知衰退（b=0.19，p=0.014）之间的联系。性别和儿童户口状况并未调节这些关联。
这些发现强调了儿童时期条件对以后认知功能的长期影响。儿童时期邻里社会凝聚力可能是促进健康认知衰老的一个因素。
