b'AGING IN THE 21ST CENTURYassociated with reduced risk of limitations inSimilarly, Wight et al. (2008) study thefunctioning from living in an economically activities like cooking and shopping. Race playsassociation of neighborhood characteristics andadvantaged neighborhood. On the other hand, a central role in the impact of neighborhood onchronic health conditions in the AHEAD cohort.neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is disability. Brown et al. (2015) show that racialAccounting for other relevant risks, neighborhoodespecially harmful to cognitive functioning for and ethnic differences in SES, stress, perceiveddisadvantage is significantly associated withthose who are poor themselves. discrimination and neighborhood conditionsself-rated poor health but not with cardiovascularThe link between the sociodemographic help to explain the higher level of functionaldisease or functional limitations. Beginning inenvironmental context and the trajectory of limitations experienced by Black men compared2006, HRS began asking participants to providecognitive health in older life is complex. Higher to White men. Another study shows thatpersonal evaluations of various qualities of theirHispanic composition and higher Hispanic-White increased neighborhood disorder is associatedneighborhood. Using these data, Kim et al. (2013)neighborhood segregation are positively associat-with lower odds of recovery from mobility lim- examine the effect of perceived neighborhooded with better initial cognitive function but with itation over two years and influences recoverysocial cohesion on the risk of stroke incidencegreater cognitive decline over time (Kovalchik et through barriers to physical activity (Lathambetween 2006 and 2010. Higher perceived neigh- al. 2015). Ailshire and Crimmins (2013) exam-and Williams 2015). borhood social cohesion is associated with a lowerine the association between neighborhood air Other work examines the potential impactrisk of stroke. Some aspects of neighborhoods of neighborhood quality on health conditions.may even influence mortality. Neighborhood Information from the HRS on neighborhood char- affluence is associated with a lower risk of dying acteristics in 2002 is used to predict the onset ofover two years (Wight et al. 2010). heart problems, hypertension, stroke, diabetes,Neighborhood characteristics may also cancer and arthritis in 2004 (Freedman et al.influence cognitive functioning of older adults. 2011). Living in more economically disadvan- Older adults living in low-education areas have taged areas predicts the onset of heart problems.lower cognitive functioning than those living in Segregated, higher-crime areas increase the riskhigh-education areas, even accounting for the of developing cancer.effect of personal education (Wight et al. 2006). A related study examines the impact of urban neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and racial/ethnic segregation on cognitive functioning (Aneshensel et al. 2011). Poorer individuals living in economically advantaged urban areas may be especially likely to benefit in terms of cognitive Older adults living in areas with higher concentrations of particulate matter (a measure of air pollution), have worse cognitive function, especially episodic memory.78'