Racial/Ethnic Variation of Neighborhood Social Cohesion, Loneliness, and Cognitive Functioning among Midlife and Older U.S. Adults

Key Points

• To explore how neighborhood social cohesion and loneliness affect cognitive functioning among midlife and older U.S. adults across different racial and ethnic groups.
• Analyzed cognitive trajectories of midlife and older adults from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• Examined the relationship between neighborhood social cohesion and loneliness.
• Compared cognitive outcomes while accounting for racial/ethnic differences.
• Loneliness was linked to greater cognitive decline over time in all racial/ethnic groups.
• Only non-Hispanic White participants showed cognitive benefits from living in socially cohesive neighborhoods.
• Increased social cohesion reduced feelings of loneliness, impacting cognitive trajectories.