The Impact of Region and Urbanicity on the Discrimination-Cognitive Health Link Among Older Blacks

Abstract

Little research has examined how the link between discrimination and cognitive health varies by where people live. This study investigates how living in non-urban versus urban areas in different regions in the United States moderates the discrimination-cognitive health link among older non-Hispanic Blacks. Data are from the 2012 and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; N = 2,347). Regression analyses indicate that experiencing more everyday discrimination is significantly associated with lower episodic memory when living in urban areas. Among non-Hispanic Blacks, the discrimination-episodic memory link does not significantly vary across U.S. regional contexts. Findings highlight variation in the association between everyday discrimination and cognitive health by where older non-Hispanic Blacks live. Results suggest the importance of socio-environmental factors in shaping how stressful experiences such as discrimination are linked to cognitive health in later life.

Supplementary data

Supplemental material for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website at https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2020.1746614.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer’s Disease (MCCFAD) under [P30 AG059300-01]; Johnson’s work was supported by the AHRQ (Health and Human Services, Department of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Predoctoral Traineeship through the University of Michigan under grant [5-T32-HS-000053-28]; Dr. Sol’s work was supported by the National Institute of Aging under grant [R01AG054520-02S1]; Dr. Sprague’s work was supported by the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Population Neuroscience of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease through the University of Pittsburgh under [T32AG055381]; and Dr. Muñoz’s work was supported by the National Institute of Aging under grant [F32AG056134].