Energy Insecurity and Cognitive Function - A Preliminary Analysis of the Offspring Study

Sep 29, 2026

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Energy insecurity (EI), defined as the inability to meet basic household energy needs, is examined in relation to cognitive health among older adults. The Offspring Study evaluates how physical, economic, and coping EI indicators relate to multiple cognitive measures. Using 14 EI indicators (N=318; median age 54), participants are classified as energy secure, moderately, severely, or extremely insecure. Kruskal–Wallis tests compare selective memory, fluency, and digit span outcomes across EI groups, stratified by gender. EI is discussed as a socio-environmental risk relevant to cognitive health disparities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Energy Insecurity and Cognitive Function: A Preliminary Analysis of the Offspring Study

Study context and aim

Energy insecurity definition and indicators

Participant characterization and EI categories

Cognitive assessments and statistical approach

Gender-stratified findings and implications

672 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 14.0, p = 0.045). Among women (n = 217), extreme EI was marginally associated with lower average SRT scores than the other EI groups (51 vs. 57, p = 0.059) . Energy insecurity is a salient socio-environmental risk factor to consider in future studies on the burden of cognitive health disparities. Abstract citation ID: igaf122.2292 ENERGY INSECURITY AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE OFFSPRING STUDY Gabriella Meltzer1, Qian Li2, Justina Avila-Rieger3, Diana Hernández2, and Jennifer Manly3, 1. American University, United States, 2. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, United States, 3. Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, United States Older adults are highly susceptible to energy insecurity (EI), the inability to adequately meet basic household energy needs. While burgeoning research has focused on the health implications of EI for vulnerable older adults, its relationship with cognition remains unknown. This analysis examines the association between EI and cognitive health in the Offspring Study of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Alzheimer’s Disease, which studies the risk factors of cognitive function disparities among middle-aged adults with and without parents with Alzheimer’s in the Washington Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project parent cohort. Based on 14 indicators capturing physical, economic, and coping EI, N = 318 Offspring participants (median age 54; IQR 46, 62) were characterized as energy secure (n = 89, 28.0%) or moderately (n = 144, 45.3%), severely (n = 66, 20.8%), or extremely (n = 19, 6.0%) energy insecure. The Kruskall-Wallis rank sum test was used to compare median scores on the Selective Reminding Test (total + delayed), Animal/Vegetable Fluency test, Letter Fluency test, and Digit Span test (forward + backward) across EI categories, stratified by gender. Among men (n = 101), vegetable fluency was the lowest among those experiencing severe EI compared to those who were energy secure (10.0 vs

FAQs

What does energy insecurity (EI) mean in this study?

EI refers to the inability to adequately meet basic household energy needs.

How were participants grouped by EI level?

Participants (N=318) were categorized as energy secure, moderately insecure, severely insecure, or extremely insecure based on 14 EI indicators.

Which cognitive tests were compared across EI categories?

The Selective Reminding Test, Animal/Vegetable Fluency, Letter Fluency, and Digit Span (forward and backward) were compared across EI groups.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Ezra