RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Integrating accelerometry, GPS, GIS and molecular data to investigate mechanistic pathways of the urban environmental exposome and cognitive outcomes in older adults: a longitudinal study protocol
JF BMJ Open
JO BMJ Open
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP e085318
DO 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085318
VO 14
IS 12
A1 Hunter, Ruth F
A1 Cleland, Claire
A1 Trott, Mike
A1 O’Neill, Sean
A1 Küçükali, Hüseyin
A1 Mullineaux, Shay
A1 Kee, Frank
A1 McKinley, Jennifer M
A1 Neville, Charlotte
A1 O'Hara, Leeanne
A1 Marr, Calum
A1 McAlinden, Michael
A1 Ellis, Geraint
A1 McKnight, Amy
A1 Schipperijn, Jasper
A1 McHugh Power, Joanna
A1 Duong, Trung
A1 McGuinness, Bernadette
YR 2024
UL http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/12/e085318.abstract
AB Introduction Maintaining cognitive health in later life is a global priority. Encouraging individuals to make health behaviour changes, such as regular physical activity, and providing supportive urban environments can help maintain cognitive health, thereby preventing or delaying the progress of dementia and cognitive decline. However, the mechanistic pathways by which the urban environmental exposome influences cognitive health outcomes are poorly understood. The aim of this study is to use granular measures of the urban environment exposome (encompassing the built, natural and social environment) and physical activity to explore how these interact with a person’s biology to ultimately influence cognitive health outcomes.Methods and analysis This ongoing study uses a cohort design, recruiting participants from the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing and the Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol study. Participants (n=400 at each wave) will be aged ≥65 years and have the capacity to provide written informed consent. Measures include device-measured physical activity (Actigraph wGT3XP-BT), environmental location data (Global Positioning System, Qstarz BT-Q1000XT), linked to a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Mini Mental State Examination and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Blood-derived biochemical, genetic and epigenetic data will be included in multimodal analyses. These data will be integrated with urban environment Geographic Information System data and analysed using causal inference and mediation methods to investigate plausible mechanistic pathways.Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Queen’s University Belfast, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Research Ethics Committee (MHLS 21_72). Alongside peer-reviewed publications in high-ranking international journals, dissemination activities include conference presentations, project videos, working papers, policy briefing papers, newsletters, summaries and case study stories.