Rutgers Health researchers found that older Chinese immigrants living in areas with better access to community amenities, services, and support infrastructure had slower declines in cognitive function over time.
Their research is Social science and medicineexamined data from the Chinese Elderly Population Study, one of the largest studies of older Chinese immigrants in the United States. Researchers investigated how neighborhood resources such as museums, libraries, medical services, and internet access were associated with changes in cognitive function among 2,763 Chinese people. Immigrants age 60 and older living in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Although neighborhood context was not associated with cognitive ability at the start of the study, the researchers found that people who lived in more “cognitively supportive” neighborhoods experienced slower declines with age.
Our findings suggest that where people live may play an important role in maintaining their subsequent cognitive health. Neighborhoods that provide access to cultural, social, and health-related resources may help reduce dementia risk by supporting mental stimulation, physical activity, and social engagement over time. ”
Yanping Jiang, core member of the Rutgers Center for Population and Behavioral Health in the Institute for Health Policy and Aging Research and lead author of this study
Zhang, an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, added, “Older immigrants, such as Chinese Americans, often face cultural and language barriers and mobility limitations, and can be particularly dependent on local resources. This means that community investments in culturally accessible amenities and services may be particularly meaningful in supporting healthy aging among immigrant populations.”
To capture the influence of the neighborhood environment, researchers developed a “Cognitive Neighborhood Index” that reflects the availability of amenities, services, and infrastructure that may support cognitive health. These facilities include numerous museums, recreation centers, educational and civic organizations, parks, public transportation stops, medical services, road networks, and Internet access in a given community.
The researchers found that participants who lived in neighborhoods with higher Cognition scores experienced significantly slower rates of cognitive decline, even after accounting for age, gender, education, marital status, neighborhood socioeconomic status, length of time living in the neighborhood, and other personal factors.
However, not all amenities were equally beneficial. The researchers identified certain neighborhood characteristics that were particularly beneficial for improving cognitive trajectories, such as better access to museums and libraries and more nearby health services..
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias affect 55 million people worldwide. Researchers have identified several modifiable risk factors for these incurable diseases, including factors shaped by an individual’s neighborhood environment.
Rutgers researchers described efforts to expand access to local cultural institutions, medical services, and support infrastructure. It has the potential to foster an environment that protects the cognitive health of underserved populations as well as the general population.
Co-authors of the study include Wendy Da and Leslie Zhen of the Rutgers Health Research Institute, Jessica Finley and Zhe Lin of the University of Colorado Boulder, and Fengyan Tan of the University of Pittsburgh.
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Reference magazines:
Jean, Y. others. (2026). The effects of neighborhood amenities, services, and built infrastructure on cognitive health: A longitudinal study of older Chinese immigrants in Chicago, USA. Social science and medicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119223. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953626002996?via%3Dihub
