Qian Song, PhD Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Boston (MSI)
Dr. Qian Song is an associate professor and undergraduate program director at UMass Boston. Focusing on later-life health outcomes, three major themes define my scholarship. The first theme investigates how early-life experiences are associated with various health disparities in late life. The second theme assesses the consequences of family living arrangements and adult migration for the mental and cognitive health of older adults. The third theme examines the short- and long-term effects of job layoffs on various health outcomes and health behaviors.
Project Title: Living Arrangements, Neighborhoods, and Cognitive Aging among Older Asian and Latin American Adults
Full Community Brief
Living Arrangements, Neighborhoods, and Cognitive Aging Among Older Asian and Latin American Adults
Qian Song, PhD, Jeff Burr, PhD, Emily Lim, PhD.
Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 2Pennsyvania State University
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study aims to learn about who older adults live with (i.e., their living arrangements) and how the kind of neighborhood environment where older adults live may affect their cognitive health. Our study focuses on older Asian and Latin American communities.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Studies suggest that the people we live with influence daily well-being and long-term brain health, though prior research in the general U.S. population has found no strong link between living arrangements and brain health. However, because Asian and Hispanic American communities often emphasize familism, living arrangements may play a more significant role for these groups. Understanding how household composition and neighborhood context affect health could inform interventions that strengthen family and community support in these populations.
KEY FINDINGS
· We use nationally representative survey data and statistical analysis to establish associations.
· For older Asian adults, living alone is linked to poorer cognitive function partly because it increases feelings of loneliness. In contrast, living with a spouse only or with non-adult children can reduce loneliness, which may help support cognitive health. However, living with adult children does not reduce loneliness or benefit cognitive health.
· Among older Hispanic adults, better cognitive function is seen only among those who live with their adult children. Unlike their Asian counterparts, this relationship does not seem to be explained by loneliness.
