ATHENS, Ga. — A new study by the University of Georgia found that how communities are designed, from neighborhoods to full cities, can have an impact on decreasing the risk of dementia and other types of cognitive declines.

According to UGA, factors like air pollution and access to green spaces can have a significant impact, when it comes to lowering the risk of developing dementia.

To come to this conclusion, UGA College of Public Health researchers performed a cross-study research program on 54 studies through a systematic review and 21 in a meta-analysis.

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Doing so, they were able to quantify how much of an effect different environmental factors have on the risk of dementia.

“These numbers show that living in a dementia-friendly environment is important to delay or prevent cognitive decline and the onset of dementia,” Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management Suhang Song said.

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Depending on where you live, UGA’s research found as much as a 10% increased risk of dementia, though some factors had higher impacts than others.

“Living near major roadways was associated with a roughly 10% higher risk of dementia, and exposure to fine particulate matter in the air — something that is generated by vehicles and industrial emissions — was associated with a 9% increase in risk,” according to the research analysis. “Nitrous Oxide increased risk by 10%, and noise pollution was shown to increase risk by about 9%.”

On the flip side, having good places to walk and access to places like community centers, clinics and food stores could help reduce risk of cognitive decline by up to 6%, the study found.

Song said their data analysis showed how better urban planning can lead to better cognitive health outcomes for Americans.

“The biggest advantage of this paper is to quantify the association between certain factors and cognitive health,” Song said. “This analysis can provide evidence for data-driven urban planning and support decision makers.”

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