Adolescent neighborhood disadvantage and memory performance in young adulthood. (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Noppert, Grace A.; Martin, Chantel L.; Zivich, Paul N.; Aiello, Allison E.; Harris, Kathleen Mullan; O'Rand, Angela
• Is Part Of: Health & place. Volume 75(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Neighborhood disadvantage -- Life course -- Cognition -- Young adult health; Health -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Health services accessibility -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Political planning -- Periodicals; Social medicine -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; Health Policy -- Periodicals; Health Services Accessibility -- Periodicals; Public Health -- Periodicals; Public Policy -- Periodicals; Sociology, Medical -- Periodicals; Épidémiologie -- Périodiques; Politique sanitaire -- Périodiques; Santé, Services de -- Accessibilité -- Périodiques; Health services accessibility; Health -- Social aspects; Political planning; Public health; Social medicine; Periodicals; 613
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102793
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1353-8292

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we estimated the average causal effect of neighborhood disadvantage in adolescence on memory performance in young adulthood. We contrasted several different ways of operationalizing a continuous measure of neighborhood disadvantage including a continuous neighborhood disadvantage score and ordinal measures. Results: Neighborhood disadvantage was measured in Wave I when participants were a mean age of 15.41 years (SE: 0.12) and memory performance was measured in Wave IV when participants were a mean age of 28.24 years (SE: 0.12). We found that adolescent neighborhood disadvantage was associated with decreased memory performance in young adulthood. Notably, we observed a linear decline in word recall score among those in the less disadvantaged tail of the distribution (neighborhood disadvantage <1), a finding not observed using traditional ordinal variable classifications of disadvantage. Conclusion: Experiencing neighborhood disadvantage in adolescence may have lasting impacts on cognitive health throughout the life course. Highlights: Living in a disadvantaged neighborhood during adolescence resulted in lower memory performance in young adulthood. Ordinal classifications of neighborhood disadvantage may miss important incremental declines. Experiencing a disadvantaged neighborhood environment in adolescence may have consequences for life course cognition.