68The Geographies of Cognitive Ageing: Neighbourhood Distance from Cities and Cognitive Variations in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing

Abstract

Background: With increasing urbanisation, there is growing interest in understanding how the lived environment affects healthy ageing. Epidemiologial studies consistently indicate better cognitive health in urban than rural older populations, possibly due to better accessibility to environmental sources of mental stimulation and support (1). Based on the evidence that accessibility to services/activities can influence geographical variations in health (2), we investigated associations between neighbourhood distance from urban places and cognitive functioning in older adults. Methods: We harmonised data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and the All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) to explore variations in multiple measures of cognitive functioning for 4,146 Irish older individuals (mean age = 62.5) based on travel time from their neighbourhood of residence to urban settlements with a wide range of services and opportunities for participation. Statistical analyses controlled for health, social and lifestyle covariates, including driving status. Results: Despite the overall cognitively healthy sample, living ≥29 minutes from cities was associated with 1.20 times the risk of poorer global cognition, and a distance of ≥43 minutes was linked to poorer executive functions. No moderating effects of driving status emerged. Conclusion: Living far from cities can limit accessibility to mentally stimulating activities that support cognitive health. Further investigations are needed to understand how local communities in rural areas can be optimised to reduce isolation and sustain healthy cogni-tive ageing. References 1. Cassarino M, O'Sullivan V, Kenny RA, Setti A. Environment and Cognitive Aging: A Cross-Sectional Study of Place of Residence and Cognitive Performance in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Neuropsychology. 2016;30(5):543-57. 2. Jørgensen TSH, Torp-Pedersen C, Gislason GH, Andersson C, Holm E. Time trend in Alzheimer diagnoses and the association between distance to an Alzheimer clinic and Alzheimer diagnosis.