Two new studies document considerable variance in health outcomes by location (h/t: Jason Rentfrow).
The first study investigated over 7,000 individuals aged 52 and older who
lived in urban areas across England. The study found that even when individual
differences in education and income were taken into account, people who lived in
the most deprived areas were significantly more likely to have poorer cognitive
function than those living in the least deprived areas. These findings represent
a cause for concern because poor cognitive function in older people is closely
linked to the risk of developing dementia.
Meanwhile, the second study, which involved 4,148 individuals aged 60 and
over, assessed whether mobility disability and neighbourhood deprivation are
linked. Over a two-year period, 13.6% of those in the most deprived areas
developed problems with mobility compared to 4.0% of those in the least deprived
areas. As with the first studies, these figures took into account individual
differences in income, education, and health.
The full press release with a link to more information is here.
