Social support and cognition in a racially and ethnically diverse cohort: the role of neighborhood disadvantage
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine
- 2Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine
- 3Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Cleveland Clinic
- 4Department of Neurology, Westchester Medical Center
- 5Institute for Translational Research, University of North Texas Health Science Center
- 6Center for Health Disparities Research, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
- 7Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Abstract
Background: Social support is positively associated with cognitive health, but which dimensions of support matter most and how this relationship varies across environmental contexts remains under-explored. This study examined whether neighborhood disadvantage, measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), moderates the relationship between social support and cognition in an ethnocracially diverse cohort of adults aged 50 and older.
Methods: Data were analyzed from the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD), which used community-based participatory research methods to recruit Non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) participants across the cognitive spectrum (normal, mild cognitive impairment, dementia). Neighborhood disadvantage was dichotomized as low versus high, and three Interpersonal Support Evaluation subscales (Tangible, Companion, and Emotional Support) were assessed. For each racial/ethnic group, a social support × ADI interaction term was tested as the primary analysis. Pooled and ADI-stratified associations between each subscale and cognition (Mini-Mental State Exam; MMSE) were examined as secondary, exploratory analyses.
Results: The interaction test did not provide evidence that neighborhood disadvantage moderates the association between social support and cognition in any racial/ethnic group (all p > 0.23). Independent of neighborhood disadvantage, Tangible Support was significantly and positively associated with cognition across all three groups, while Emotional Support was significantly associated with cognition among NHB and Hispanic individuals. In exploratory subgroup analyses stratified by neighborhood disadvantage, Tangible and Emotional Support were significant among NHB and Hispanic individuals in lower-disadvantage areas (ADI 1–4), and Tangible Support among NHW individuals in this stratum. No subscale predicted cognition in the highest-disadvantage areas.
Conclusion: Tangible Support, and to a lesser extent Emotional Support, showed positive associations with cognition across ethnoracial groups, with the most consistent associations observed among NHB and Hispanic individuals in lower-disadvantage neighborhoods, though these associations attenuated in several sensitivity analyses. In exploratory subgroup analyses, significant associations were not observed among individuals residing in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, though these findings should be interpreted cautiously given unequal strata sample sizes and warrant confirmation in future studies.
Related
- Plasma IL-6 as a shared inflammatory marker of cognitive impairment across racially and ethnically diverse older adults: matched analyses from the HABS-HD study.
- Neighborhood Disadvantage and Unequal Detection of Atrial Fibrillation
- Neighborhood Disadvantage, Identity-based Resilience, and Hypertension: The Healthy Aging with Resilient Identities (HARI) Study
- Neighborhood Disadvantage and Comorbid Mental Health Conditions in Adolescents and Young Adults With Eating Disorders
- Association of neighborhood deprivation with Alzheimer's disease pathology, brain structure, and cognition by race and ethnicity, sex, and APOE ε4 status.
BibTeX
@article{rhoads2026social,
title = {{Social support and cognition in a racially and ethnically diverse cohort: the role of neighborhood disadvantage}},
author = {Tasha Rhoads and Alec C. Neale and Kimberly Cobos and Katie Stypulkowski and Christina G. Wong and Sid E. O’Bryant and Amy J. H. Kind and Justin B. Miller},
journal = {Frontiers in Neurology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fneur.2026.1918066},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1918066/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Social support and cognition in a racially and ethnically diverse cohort: the role of neighborhood disadvantage
AU - Tasha Rhoads
AU - Alec C. Neale
AU - Kimberly Cobos
AU - Katie Stypulkowski
AU - Christina G. Wong
AU - Sid E. O’Bryant
AU - Amy J. H. Kind
AU - Justin B. Miller
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - Frontiers in Neurology
DO - 10.3389/fneur.2026.1918066
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2026.1918066/full
AB - Background: Social support is positively associated with cognitive health, but which dimensions of support matter most and how this relationship varies across environmental contexts remains under-explored. This study examined whether neighborhood disadvantage, measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), moderates the relationship between social support and cognition in an ethnocracially diverse cohort of adults aged 50 and older. Methods: Data were analyzed from the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD), which used community-based participatory research methods to recruit Non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White (NHW) participants across the cognitive spectrum (normal, mild cognitive impairment, dementia). Neighborhood disadvantage was dichotomized as low versus high, and three Interpersonal Support Evaluation subscales (Tangible, Companion, and Emotional Support) were assessed. For each racial/ethnic group, a social support × ADI interaction term was tested as the primary analysis. Pooled and ADI-stratified associations between each subscale and cognition (Mini-Mental State Exam; MMSE) were examined as secondary, exploratory analyses. Results: The interaction test did not provide evidence that neighborhood disadvantage moderates the association between social support and cognition in any racial/ethnic group (all p > 0.23). Independent of neighborhood disadvantage, Tangible Support was significantly and positively associated with cognition across all three groups, while Emotional Support was significantly associated with cognition among NHB and Hispanic individuals. In exploratory subgroup analyses stratified by neighborhood disadvantage, Tangible and Emotional Support were significant among NHB and Hispanic individuals in lower-disadvantage areas (ADI 1–4), and Tangible Support among NHW individuals in this stratum. No subscale predicted cognition in the highest-disadvantage areas. Conclusion: Tangible Support, and to a lesser extent Emotional Support, showed positive associations with cognition across ethnoracial groups, with the most consistent associations observed among NHB and Hispanic individuals in lower-disadvantage neighborhoods, though these associations attenuated in several sensitivity analyses. In exploratory subgroup analyses, significant associations were not observed among individuals residing in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, though these findings should be interpreted cautiously given unequal strata sample sizes and warrant confirmation in future studies.
SN - 1664-2295
ER -