The Association Between Gentrification, Health, and Social Cohesion of Older Adults

Gentrification disproportionately affects older adults. The gentrification process may adversely affect older adults’ health and well-being, as well as that of other neighborhood residents, through cumulative stress and potential declines in social cohesion. Several studies have investigated the health effects of gentrification, but few have focused specifically on its impacts on health and/or social cohesion among underrepresented older adults at the national level. To address this gap, the study used 2011-2022/23 data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) and the American Community Survey (ACS) to examine the association between gentrification and self-reported health, mental health, and perceived social cohesion among older adults. Overall, in 2015, 4.5% of census tracts were classified as gentrified, and by 2022/23, this proportion had risen to 5.3%. We employed generalized linear models (GLMs) and difference-in-differences models for our results. The results showed an association between gentrification and poorer self-rated health (0.491, p < .05) and stronger perceived social cohesion (-0.910, p < .05) among older adults who resided in the same gentrified neighborhood over time, compared with those who remained in non-gentrified neighborhoods. Gentrification was not significantly associated with poorer mental health (1.186, p < .10). These results have implications for future public health research. These results suggest that as neighborhoods experience transformation, efforts should be made to include older adults in decision-making. It also remains essential to expand efforts to ascertain neighborhood factors that may impact the health and social context of older adults.