Blue spaces and incident dementia: Differences by geospatial and historical contexts.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Blue spaces (i.e., water bodies) may benefit cognitive health depending on their uses and surrounding spatial context. We examined associations between blue spaces and incident dementia in the Cardiovascular Health Cognition Study, and specifically within Pittsburgh, given its industrial uses of blue spaces.

Methods

Participants were 2924 adults (Pittsburgh: n = 651) ≥65 years of age. Dementia was clinically adjudicated (1992-1999). Water density was measured using both 1 km radial buffers and U.S. Census tracts.

Results

In Pittsburgh only, greater buffer-level blue space predicted a higher risk of mixed/vascular dementia (highest vs lowest tertile: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43-5.74), but not Alzheimer's disease (p > 0.05).

SUBMITTER: Moored KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12568378 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature