Neighborhood Physical Environment Research Articles

Perception Versus Reality: Subjective and Objective Neighborhood Characteristics and Cognitive Function in REGARDS

Does the world shrink as we age? The neighborhood captures a spatial area someone inhabits and moves through on a daily basis. It reflects a balance between internal perceptions and abilities, and the external environment which may enable or restrict participation in everyday life. We frequently hear that older adults have shrinking neighborhoods given declining functional mobility. This is associated with declines in physical and cognitive functioning, depression, poorer quality of life, and mortality. Knowledge of the interplay between objective and subjective neighborhood measurement remains limited. This symposium will explore these linked yet distinct constructs based on secondary data analyses of the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a racially diverse sample of 30,000+ aging Americans. Finlay investigates how someone’s perceived neighborhood size (in number of blocks) varies by individual and geographic characteristics including age, cognitive function, self-rated health, and urban/rural context. Esposito’s analyses focus on neighborhood size in relation to race and residential segregation. Clarke compares subjective perceptions of neighborhood parks and safety from crime to objective indicators, and examines variations by health and cognitive status. Barnes will critically consider implications for how older adults interpret and engage with their surrounding environments. The symposium questions the validity of neighborhood-based metrics to reflect the perspectives and experiences of older residents, particularly those navigating cognitive decline. It informs policy-making efforts to improve physical neighborhood environments and social community contexts, which are critical to the health and well-being of older adults aging in place.

Walking mediates associations between the neighborhood environment and flourishing

• Perceptions of neighborhood built and social environment are associated with flourishing. • Frequency and type of walking may explain the relationship. • Frequent walking has significant indirect effects on built environments and flourishing. • Frequent walking has significant indirect effects on neighboring and flourishing. Considerable attention has been directed toward the neighborhood as a critical context affecting health and wellbeing. The particular mechanisms that explain this relationship are still under investigation. The ability to flourish, or live life with purpose and value, is contingent upon engaging in meaningful activities. We investigate whether the amount and type of walking within the neighborhood mediates the relationship between perceptions of the physical and social neighborhood environment and flourishing. An online survey was administered to a representative sample of adults ( n = 796) in Phoenix, Arizona (US). The survey included items from validated scales measuring perceptions of the built environment, neighborhood cohesion, and flourishing. Structural equation modeling with bootstrapping was used to test the mediating effects of walking for 150+ min per week and walking for recreation on the relationship between perceptions of the neighborhood environment and flourishing. Walking for 150+ min per week mediated relationships between the built environment and flourishing ( β = 0.020, 95%CI 0.001 0.065) and neighboring behavior and flourishing ( β = 0.027, 95%CI 0.005 0.071). Walking for recreation was directly associated with both the built environment and neighboring but did not contribute to flourishing. Walking for at least 150 min per week is one mechanism that may explain how the environment contributes to individual flourishing within the context of the neighborhood.

Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Adolescent Food Insecurity in Baltimore

While emerging evidence is highlighting a growing problem of food insecurity among adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods, very little is known about the factors that may either protect or place adolescents at higher risk for food insecurity. The primary objective for this analysis, therefore, was to examine the associations between individual-, family-, and neighborhood-level risks and protective factors and food insecurity among 452 adolescents in Baltimore, Maryland. Results show that nearly 30% of our sample were food insecure (29.4%). Food insecure youth were more likely to be unstably housed (OR 5.17, 1.24-21.62), live in larger households (OR 1.14, 1.08-1.20), and perceive their neighborhoods unsafe (OR 2.37, 1.47-3.83). Protective factors included perceiving both male and female adult support (OR 0.55 and 0.47, respectively), having a higher sense of community belonging (OR 0.91, 0.32-0.95) and having positive perceptions of their neighborhood's physical environment (OR 0.93, 0.88-0.98). These results suggest that strengthening family and neighborhood relations and resources may promote the health of adolescents in disadvantaged urban areas.

The different roles of neighborhood spatial boundary on residential satisfaction of rental household living in social-mix apartments

This study quantifies the different roles of neighborhood physical environments with different spatial boundaries on residential satisfaction of rental households in social-mix apartments. Employing public rental housing survey in Seoul(2016), this study specifies three ordered logit models by neighborhood spatial boundaries(400m, 800m, 1200m). The results showed that, in 400m model, explanatory power(r-square) was the highest(18.4%) and the relative importance of land-use mix(OR=2.063) was the highest among the neighborhood physical environments. While the statistically significant influence of land-use mix was found only in 400m model, the significant influence of police-station was not in 1,200m model(p<0.05). Therefore, it is recommendable that social-mix apartment should be located in the walkable areas with the high level of land-use mix in order to improve residential performance of rental households.

Effects of neighbourhood social cohesion and need for restoration on restorative experiences

Restorative experience refers to an experience of psychophysical restoration from stress and mental fatigue during people‒environment interactions. Previous research has documented the influence of neighbourhood physical environment on restorative experiences; however, it is still unclear whether neighbourhood social environment can affect restorative experiences. Applying a socioecological perspective, the current study aims to explore the effect of neighbourhood social cohesion on restorative experience and to examine whether people’s need for restoration would moderate this effect. After manipulating the need for restoration in terms of antecedent attentional state, participants (N = 244) with and without the need for restoration read one of three experimental scenarios describing a neighbourhood with high, neutral, or low social cohesion. Participants reported their restorative experience pre‐ and post‐exposure to neighbourhood social cohesion scenarios. Results showed that participants in the high social cohesion neighbourhood condition perceived more post‐exposure restorative experience than did those in the neutral or low cohesion conditions. Restorative experience increased from pre‐ to post‐exposure in the high social cohesion condition; the increase was greater for participants with the need for restoration. On the other hand, restorative experience decreased from pre‐ to post‐exposure in the low social cohesion condition for participants without the need for restoration. These findings suggested that a socially cohesive neighbourhood could enhance individuals’ restorative experiences and that the strength of this restorative benefit might depend on the need for restoration.

A Latent Class Analysis of Perceived Neighborhood Conditions Associated with Mental Disorders Among Children in the United States.

The current study examined the association between perceived neighborhood conditions and common childhood mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of children in the U.S. The datawere derived from the 2017 National Survey of Children's Health, including American children aged 6-17years (N = 15,438). Latent class analysis was used to identify subtypes of perceived neighborhood conditions regarding neighborhood physical environment, social capital, and violence. Three classes were identified: Ideal Neighborhood (55.99%); Insufficient Assets (27.38%), and Broken and Unsafe Neighborhood (16.63%). The effects of latent classes on psychiatric outcomes (i.e. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, conduct problem, and any of these four disorders) were examined. Class membership was differentially associated with the mental disorders after adjustment for demographic variables, food insufficiency, and guardian's mental health. The Broken and Unsafe Neighborhood class was associated with greater odds of all childhood psychiatric disorders than the Ideal Neighborhood and Insufficient Assets class. Insufficient Assets class was associated with greater odds of all childhood psychiatric disorders than the Ideal Neighborhood class. The findings suggest that neighborhood-level interventions to decrease children's mental health burdens are critically needed.

0397 Neighborhood Physical and Social Environments and Sleep Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Abstract Introduction Understanding salient environmental determinants of pediatric sleep is essential for informing interventions and public health initiatives. Emerging evidence suggests the neighborhood environment can impact pediatric sleep. We are conducting a systematic review of studies examining associations of neighborhood physical and social environments with sleep among children and adolescents. Methods We searched 6 databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PsychInfo) using search terms related to sleep, neighborhood environment, and pediatric populations to identify English-language articles with an abstract. We identified and screened 2,581 abstracts. Inclusion criteria included 1) assessing associations of ≥1 neighborhood-level factor with ≥1 sleep outcome and 2) including participants ≤18 years. We excluded review articles, protocols, qualitative and non-human studies. In total, 134 full-text articles were independently reviewed by 2 reviewers each to confirm eligibility. One reviewer abstracted preliminary data from included studies. Next steps include independent data abstraction by two reviewers using a standardized form, synthesis of results, and assessment of study quality according to the study design, sleep assessment method, sampling strategy, and control for confounding. Results Sixty-one articles met inclusion criteria. Fourteen articles included children aged 0-5 years, 38 included children aged 6-12 years, and 36 included adolescents aged 13-18 years (25 included multiple age groups). Twenty-two studies (36%) used objective sleep assessment methods (e.g. actigraphy). Seven studies (11%) examined sleep apnea/snoring. The most common neighborhood-level factors were safety/crime/community violence (n=28) and socioeconomic status (n=25), with fewer studies examining other exposures like noise (n=7) and social cohesion (n=4). Results on key associations and study quality are forthcoming. Conclusion A growing body of epidemiological data has emerged in recent years to provide insight into how the neighborhood environment can impact pediatric sleep. Preliminary results suggest few studies have examined associations of the built environment with sleep, with most studies focusing on school-aged children and adolescents. Support This work was supported by: the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Possibilities Project (SLM); Sleep Research Society Foundation and K23HD094905 (AAW); NIH/NHLBI K01HL123612 (JAM)

Moderators of Parents' Perceptions of the Neighborhood Environment and Children's Physical Activity, Time Outside, and Screen Time.

Increased physical inactivity and sedentary behavior among children are a global health concern. Examine associations between parents' perceived neighborhood environment and children's physical activity, outside time, and screen time, and whether these associations were moderated by age and socioeconomic position (SEP). Parents (N = 1212) completed a survey during the Recording and EValuating Activity in a Modified Park study. The neighborhood perceptions (social and physical environment), children's age, physical activity, outside time, and screen time were parent-reported. The SEP was derived from the Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were performed with age and SEP interactions. Favorable perceptions of opportunities to be active and exercise were associated with a higher likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines. Favorable perceptions of neighborhood ease for walking and a larger social network were also associated with more outdoor time. Moderation analyses revealed that favorable perceptions of several physical and social neighborhood environment features were associated with a higher likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines in the high-SEP group and were negatively associated with preschoolers' weekday screen time. Future neighborhood environment initiatives and interventions aiming to promote active living communities should consider differences in age and SEP.

Housing Conditions, Neighborhood Physical Environment, and Secondhand Smoke Exposure at Home: Evidence from Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Workers.

Over the past two decades, health-related issues among rural-to-urban migrant workers in China have been widely discussed and documented by public health scholars. However, little, if any, scholarly attention has been paid to migrant workers’ secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home. This study aims to explore the contours of SHS exposure at home and investigate the effects of inadequate housing conditions and poor neighborhood physical environments on such in-home exposure among Chinese migrant workers. A respondent-driven sampling method was employed to interview 1854 rural-to-urban migrant workers from the period June 2017 to June 2018 in Chengdu, China. The results indicate that Chinese migrant workers are at high risk of SHS exposure at home. Migrant workers who live in homes with inadequate conditions, such as substandard housing and crowdedness, are especially at high risk of SHS exposure at home. Moreover, poor neighborhood physical environments are significantly and positively associated with SHS exposure at home. These findings suggest that strategies that can help improve housing conditions and neighborhood physical environments should be developed and promoted to protect rural-to-urban migrant workers from SHS exposure at home.

Unfavorable perceived neighborhood environment associates with less routine healthcare utilization: Data from the Dallas Heart Study.

Neighborhood environment perception (NEP) has been associated with health outcomes. However, little is known about how NEP relates to routine healthcare utilization. This study investigated the relationship between NEP and independent subfactors with healthcare utilization behavior, as measured by self-reported (1) usual source of healthcare and (2) time since last routine healthcare check-up. We used cross-sectional data from the Dallas Heart Study, which features a diverse, probability-based sample of Dallas County residents ages 18 to 65. We used logistic regression modeling to examine the association of self-reported NEP and routine healthcare utilization. NEP was assessed via a questionnaire exploring residents’ neighborhood perceptions, including violence, the physical environment, and social cohesion. Routine healthcare utilization was assessed via self-reported responses regarding usual source of care and time since last routine healthcare check-up. The analytic sample (N = 1706) was 58% black, 27% white, 15% Hispanic, 42% male, and had a mean age of 51 (SD = 10.3). Analysis of NEP by tertile demonstrated that younger age, lower income, and lower education were associated with unfavorable overall NEP (p trend <0.05 for each). After adjustment for potential confounders, including neighborhood deprivation, health insurance, disease burden and psychosocial factors, we found that individuals with more unfavorable perception of their physical environment were more likely to report lack of a usual source of care (p = 0.013). Individuals with more unfavorable perception of the neighborhood physical environment or greater neighborhood violence reported longer time periods since last routine visit (p = 0.001, p = 0.034 respectively). There was no relationship between perceived social cohesion and healthcare utilization. Using a multi-ethnic cohort, we found that NEP significantly associates with report of a usual source of care and time since last routine check-up. Our findings suggest that public health professionals should prioritize improving NEP since it may act as barrier to routine preventive healthcare and ideal health outcomes.

The Influence of the Objective and Subjective Physical Neighbourhood Environment on the Physical Activity of Older Adults: A Case Study in the Malaysian Neighbourhoods of Johor Bahru

Physical neighbourhood environments (PNE) can affect the active ageing and physical wellbeing of older residents. This paper examined the PNE objective (PNEO): land use mix entropy, population density, traffic intersection density and distance to facilities; and PNE subjective (PNES): the Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Scale-Abbreviated (NEWS-A): and their relationship with the physical activity (PA) levels of older residents. The PA was measured using an IPAQ questionnaire on 280 older residents in neighbourhoods in the city of Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Cross-tabulations and correlation analyses were conducted to analyse the significant relationships. It was found that PNEO and PNES in the different housing environments influenced the PA levels of the late middle-aged and young-old adults, that the distance to facilities such as mosques and recreation areas should be less than 200 metres, and that high population density areas in Malaysian neighbourhoods are unsuitable for active ageing lifestyles because of the construction of physical barriers. This research identified the PNEO and PNES indicators for the promotion of an active ageing lifestyle in older residents, which could assist in improving existing housing policies and guidelines on active ageing in Malaysian neighbourhoods.

Children’s neighbourhood physical environment and early development: an individual child level linked data study

BackgroundIdentification of features of the neighbourhood physical environment that have a causal association with positive child development is important for promoting long-term developmental health. Previous research on these associations have...

Residential relocation and life satisfaction change: Is there a difference between household couples?

Intra-household differences in the outcomes of residential relocation have been largely overlooked in existing literature. This study focuses on the differences between household couples in terms of life satisfaction outcomes resulted from home relocation. Using data from a two-wave household questionnaire survey in Beijing, this study explores changes in life satisfaction following a residential relocation, and how these changes differ between household couples. Two modelling approaches are adopted: a multilevel modelling framework for the whole sample, and two seemingly unrelated regression equations to estimate life satisfaction changes experienced by male and female household heads separately. By comparing the model results, it shows that there are significant life satisfaction improvements for both household heads and no significant difference in the magnitude of improvements between males and females. That said, life satisfaction increases are explained by improvements in different life domains for couples: improvements in social relationship and neighbourhood physical environment significantly contribute to male household heads' life satisfaction increase, whereas improvements in travel convenience explain female household heads' life satisfaction increase. Findings of this study suggest that policymakers should be aware of the importance of ‘differences’ between not only people of different social groups, but also people of the same households.

Cognitive Functioning as a Moderator in the Relationship Between the Perceived Neighborhood Physical Environment and Physical Activity in Belgian Older Adults.

Objective: To investigate whether the relationship of neighborhood environmental factors with physical activity (PA) is moderated by cognitive functioning in Belgian older adults. Methods: Seventy-one older adults completed validated questionnaires on PA and environmental perceptions, wore an accelerometer, and completed a computerized assessment of cognitive functioning. Moderated linear regression analyses were conducted in SPSS 24.0. Results: Overall cognitive functioning significantly moderated the associations of traffic safety and street connectivity with PA. Detailed analyses showed that these factors were only positively associated with PA in older adults with lower cognitive functioning. In addition, particularly, performance on tests assessing visuospatial and episodic memory moderated these associations. Discussion: Living in traffic-safe neighborhoods with short and many alternative routes might motivate older adults with lower cognitive functioning to be active. As such, the increase in PA might improve their cognitive abilities. This knowledge is crucial for health practitioners to develop effective PA promotion initiatives.

Understanding local ethnic inequalities in childhood BMI through cross-sectional analysis of routinely collected local data

BackgroundLocal-level analysis of ethnic inequalities in health is lacking, prohibiting a comprehensive understanding of the health needs of local populations and the design of effective health services. Knowledge of ethnic disparities in child weight status is particularly limited by overlooking both the heterogeneity within ethnic groupings; and the complex ecological contexts in which obesity arises. This study aimed to establish whether there was variation in childhood BMI across ethnic groups in Coventry, and the influence of individual, school and neighbourhood contexts, using routinely collected local data.MethodsNational Child Measurement Programme data were compiled for the period 2007/8–2014/15 and combined with routinely collected local data reflecting school performance and demographics, and school and neighbourhood physical environments. Multi-level modelling using Monte Carlo Markov Chain methods was used to account for the clustering of children within schools and neighbourhoods. Ethnic group differences in BMI z-score (zBMI) were explored at 4–5 years and 10–11 years for girls and boys alongside individual, school and neighbourhood covariates.ResultsAt age 4–5 years (n = 28,407), ethnic group differences were similar for boys and girls, with children from South Asian, White other, Chinese and ‘any other’ ethnic groups having a significantly lower zBMI, and Black African children having a higher zBMI, versus White British (WB) children. Patterns differed considerably at age 10–11 years (n = 25,763) with marked sex differences. Boys from White other, Bangladeshi and Black African groups had a significantly higher zBMI than WB boys. For girls, only children from Black ethnic groups showed a significantly higher zBMI. Area-level deprivation was the only important school or neighbourhood covariate, but its inclusion did not explain ethnic group differences in child zBMI.ConclusionThis analysis contributes to the existing literature by identifying nuanced patterns of ethnic disparities in childhood adiposity in Coventry, supporting the targeting of early obesity prevention for children from Black African groups, as well as girls from Black Caribbean and Black other ethnic backgrounds; and boys from Bangladeshi and White other ethnic backgrounds. It also demonstrates the utility of exploring routinely collected local data sets in building a comprehensive understanding of local population needs.

Relative importance of perceived physical and social neighborhood characteristics for depression: a machine learning approach

PurposeThe physical and social neighborhood environments are increasingly recognized as determinants for depression. There is little evidence on combined effects of multiple neighborhood characteristics and their importance. Our aim was (1) to examine associations between depression severity and multiple perceived neighborhood environments; and (2) to assess their relative importance.MethodsCross-sectional data were drawn from a population-representative sample (N = 9435) from the Netherlands. Depression severity was screened with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and neighborhood perceptions were surveyed. Supervised machine learning models were employed to assess depression severity-perceived neighborhood environment associations.ResultsWe found indications that neighborhood social cohesion, pleasantness, and safety inversely correlate with PHQ-9 scores, while increasing perceived distance to green space and traffic were correlated positively. Perceived distance to blue space and urbanicity seemed uncorrelated. Young adults, low-income earners, low-educated, unemployed, and divorced persons were more likely to have higher PHQ-9 scores. Neighborhood characteristics appeared to be less important than personal attributes (e.g., age, marital and employment status). Results were robust across different ML models.ConclusionsThis study suggested that the perceived social environment plays, independent of socio-demographics, a role in depression severity. Contrasted with person-level and social neighborhood characteristics, the prominence of the physical neighborhood environment should not be overstated.

Neighborhood Physical Disorder and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes among Women in Chicago: a Cross-Sectional Analysis of Electronic Health Record Data.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes increase infants' risk for mortality and future health problems. Neighborhood physical disorder may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes by increasing maternal chronic stress. Google Street View technology presents a novel method for assessing neighborhood physical disorder but has not been previously examined in the context of birth outcomes. In this cross-sectional study, trained raters used Google's Street View imagery to virtually audit a randomly sampled block within each Chicago census tract (n = 809) for nine indicators of physical disorder. We used an item-response theory model and spatial interpolation to calculate tract-level neighborhood physical disorder scores across Chicago. We linked these data with geocoded electronic health record data from a large, academic women's hospital in Chicago (2015-2017, n = 14,309 births). We used three-level hierarchical Poisson regression to estimate prevalence ratios for the associations of neighborhood physical disorder with preterm birth (overall and spontaneous), small for gestational age (SGA), and hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP). After adjustment for maternal sociodemographics, multiparity, and season of birth, living in a neighborhood with high physical disorder was associated with higher prevalence of PTB, SGA, and HDP (prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals 1.21 (1.06, 1.39) for PTB, 1.13 (1.01, 1.37) for SGA, and 1.23 (1.07, 1.42) for HDP). Adjustment for neighborhood poverty and maternal health conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, asthma, substance use) attenuated associations. Results suggest that an adverse neighborhood physical environment may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, future work is needed to disentangle the unique contribution of physical disorder from other characteristics of disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Objective and Subjective Physical Measures of the Neighbourhood Environment among Older People

This paper aims to explore the relation between objective and subjective neighbourhood walkability and its impact on the physical activity level of older adults. The correlations were used to signify older people's level of physical activity in Johor Bahru neighbourhoods, Malaysia. The results show residents in a highly dense area with higher accessibility to facilities perceived higher walkability level but showed a lower actual physical activity level. People living in high intersection density areas who recognised high walkability demonstrated higher physical activity level, while residents in a highly dense area with higher accessibility show lower physical activity level. This implies that neighbourhoods with high intersection density demonstrated a highly walkable environment rather than neighbourhoods with high density and high accessibility.

USING PHOTOVOICE TO EXPLORE THE SALIENCY OF NEIGHBORHOOD LANDMARKS FOR PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

This study demonstrates the potential of Photovoice, a participatory action research method involving participant-generated photo-elicitation, to explore how persons living with dementia (PLWDs) perceive neighborhood landmarks. Previous research has highlighted the role of well-designed, stable geographical landmarks in improving the navigability of neighborhoods for PLWDs. However, the specific attributes that render landmarks salient have not yet been sufficiently explored, resulting in inadequate evidence-based environmental design guidelines for dementia-friendly communities (DFCs). To address this gap, a Photovoice study was conducted with five community-dwelling PLWDs and their care partners, as part of a dementia-friendly neighborhood walking program in the city of Seattle, USA. Photovoice facilitated the exploration of saliency of neighborhood landmarks from an emic perspective by empowering PLWDs to identify and take photos of salient landmarks during the group walk and interpret and reflect on attributes that contributed to saliency using the photos as visual aids in a focus group discussion and survey questionnaire. PLWDs associated the saliency of landmarks not only with objective physical attributes, e.g., size, shape, color, texture, but also with subjective factors linked to their past, passions, hobbies, and emotions related to having dementia. Findings suggest that the design of outdoor landmarks should satisfy universal design principles, as well as aspects of familiarity, recognizability, and memorability, to ensure that the neighborhood physical environment provides navigational support to PLWDs. The study proposes using Photovoice to facilitate community engagement in the planning and design of DFCs and mobilize people’s lived experience to generate more robust dementia-friendly environmental design guidelines.

CAN NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS MODIFY COGNITIVE DECLINE? FINDINGS FROM THE REGARDS STUDY

Environmental factors may significantly increase the risk of, or buffer against, age-related cognitive decline, yet policies and practices to improve cognitive health outcomes to date largely overlook the role of neighborhoods and socio-physical environmental contexts. Residence in socioeconomically advantaged neighborhoods may promote cognitive function through greater density of physical and social resources (e.g., libraries, parks, coffee shops, air conditioning, community centers) that promote physical activity, facilitate mental stimulation, and encourage social engagement. This symposium will identify natural, built, and social environmental factors linked to changes in cognitive function over time (assessed by animal naming and world list learning tests) based on secondary data analyses of a national, racially diverse (42% Black), population-based sample of over 30,000 Americans aged 45+ in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study followed annually since 2003. The first two papers investigate the roles of racial residential segregation and education on cognitive function disparities at the neighborhood and city scale. The third paper explores fast-food restaurants as socially interactive community spaces for older adults that may help buffer against cognitive decline. The fourth paper investigates effects of local air temperature on cognitive testing performance, and discusses how regional differences and seasonality may buffer or exacerbate temperature-cognition associations. Altogether, the symposium elucidates how cognitive health is impacted by a complex interplay of individual and geographic factors. The papers inform policy-making efforts to improve physical neighborhood environments and social community contexts, which are critical to the well-being of older adults aging in place.