LCC pilot grant awardee Jiao Yu has published a new study on perceived neighborhood disorder, health behaviors, and inflammation among older adults in the Journal of Aging and Health. This article by Qin, Yu, and Brown examines how perceived neighborhood disorder—such as crime, noise, and physical deterioration—affects biological health among older adults, with a particular focus on inflammation. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (2014–2016), the authors analyze both direct and indirect pathways linking neighborhood conditions to levels of C-reactive protein, a key biomarker of inflammation. Their findings show that living in more disordered neighborhoods is associated with higher inflammation, and that part of this relationship operates through reduced physical activity, suggesting that environmental constraints shape health behaviors in meaningful ways.
Importantly, the study also highlights variation across racial and ethnic groups in these pathways. While physical activity mediates the relationship between neighborhood disorder and inflammation among older White adults, this indirect effect is not observed among older Black and Hispanic adults, pointing to more complex or differing mechanisms linking social environments to health in these populations. The authors conclude that interventions aimed at improving opportunities for physical activity in disadvantaged neighborhoods may help reduce inflammation and related health risks, but they also emphasize the need for future research to better understand the distinct social and structural factors influencing health among racial and ethnic minority older adults.