Children's Residential Proximity, Spousal Presence and Dementia Risk

Zhuoer Lin (), Xuecheng Yin, Becca R. Levy, Yue Yuan and Xi Chen
Additional contact information
Zhuoer Lin: University of Illinois at Chicago
Xuecheng Yin: Oklahoma State University
Becca R. Levy: Yale University
Yue Yuan: Lehigh University

No 16997, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Cognitive impairment poses considerable challenges among older adults, with the protective role of family support becoming increasingly crucial. This study examines the role of children's residential proximity and spousal presence with dementia risk in cognitively impaired older adults. We analyzed 14,600 individuals aged 50 and older with cognitive impairment from the Health and Retirement Study (1995-2018). Family support was categorized by spousal presence and children's residential proximity. Modifiable risk factors, including smoking, depressive symptoms, and social isolation, were assessed. Mixed-effects models were estimated. A significant proportion of older adults with cognitive impairment lacked access to family support, with either no spouse (46.9%) or all children living over 10 miles away (25.3%). Those with less available family support, characterized by distant-residing children and the absence of a spouse, had a significantly higher percentage of smoking, depressive symptoms, and social isolation. Moreover, we revealed a consistent gradient in the percentage of the risk factors by the degree of family support. Relative to older adults with a spouse and co-resident children, those without a spouse and with all children residing further than 10 miles displayed the highest percentage of the risk factors. These findings were robust to various sensitivity analyses.

Keywords: residential proximity; family support; dementia; depression; social isolation; smoking; long-term care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I11 I12 I18 J14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45 pages
Date: 2024-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-inv and nep-neu
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Published - published as 'Association of Children's Residential Proximity and Spousal Presence with Lower Modifiable Risk Factors for Dementia among Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment' in: American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2024, 32 (10), 1187-1199

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Working Paper: Children's Residential Proximity, Spousal Presence and Dementia Risk (2024)
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