Abstract
This study examines whether the association between air pollution and cognitive function among older adults differs by educational attainment. Data on 13,389 adults over age 50 are from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study and were linked to 2004 annual average concentrations of ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5). Multilevel linear regression models were used to examine the association of PM2.5 concentrations and individual-level education on cognitive function. Higher concentrations of PM2.5 were associated with lower scores on cognitive function, but the association was stronger among individuals with lower educational attainment. These findings were robust to the inclusion of a variety of individual demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors as well as neighborhood-level education and income. The findings suggest the cognitive harms of pollution exposure may be offset by educational attainment, and that older adults with low educational attainment may be particularly vulnerable to air pollution.