Publication Spotlight: Dr. Li

Interview with Yiting Li, MPH, Senior Data Analyst, The Center for Surgical and Transplant Applied Research, NYU Langone, author of Neighborhood Racial and Ethnic Segregation and the Risk of Dementia in Older Adults Living with Kidney Failure.

What question did your study aim to answer?

Our study aimed to determine whether older adults with ESKD residing in racially and ethnically segregated neighborhoods face an increased risk of dementia.

What inspired you to conduct this study?

Older minoritized adults are disproportionately impacted by dementia. To better understand this disparity we quantify the association between racial and ethnic segregation and dementia.

Which USRDS datasets did you use to conduct your study?

For this study, we used standard analysis files, which contain patient data, Medical Evidence Form data, residence data, as well as institutional claims.

Using plain language, please summarize your study conclusions in two or three points.

• Older adults with ESKD living in highly segregated neighborhoods face an increased risk of dementia, particularly in minority-predominant neighborhoods.
• Older adults with ESKD receiving care at dialysis facilities in highly segregated neighborhoods also face an increased risk of dementia.
• These findings underscore the profound impact of racial and ethnic segregation on dementia risk among older adults with ESKD, particularly minoritized adults.

Please share a specific insight about working with USRDS data that you learned during the completion of this study.

The ability to link individual level data with publicly available data, identify segregated neighborhoods, and track patient movement from one neighborhood to another shortly after dialysis initiation, is crucial for understanding this disparity.