How regular cash support during adulthood affects memory and dementia risk in rural South Africa
Official title: Cumulative socioeconomic exposures, cash transfer interventions, and later-life cognitive decline and dementia risk in a low-income region of South Africa
Funded at Trustees of Indiana University · NIH-11379399 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether receiving government cash payments during adulthood helps protect memory and lower the chance of dementia for people in a low-income region of South Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Trustees of Indiana University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bloomington, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $123,607 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG069128-06S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379399 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living in the low-income rural regions of South Africa covered by the linked cohorts, especially those who have received or could receive government cash transfer payments, are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the study region or whose cognitive problems are driven mainly by non-social causes (for example certain genetic conditions) may not directly benefit from these program-focused findings.
What this research studies
You would be part of research that combines long-running local population records, an aging cohort, and data from randomized cash transfer programs to see how money people receive across their lives relates to later memory and dementia. The team links individuals across a regional census, an adult aging study (HAALSI), and a prior randomized cash transfer trial to follow cognitive outcomes over time. They will study different amounts, lengths of time receiving payments, and which ages or groups benefit most to find the best ways cash transfers might protect the brain. The goal is to produce evidence that policymakers can use to design social programs that reduce dementia risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide cash transfer program designs that reduce memory decline and lower dementia risk for many people in low-income settings.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier work by this team found that randomized cash transfers were linked to better later-life memory and lower dementia probability, so this project builds on promising prior results to find the best program designs.
Where this research is happening
-
Trustees of Indiana University
Bloomington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rosenberg, Molly Sears — Trustees of Indiana University
- Study coordinator: Rosenberg, Molly Sears
Related research
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Cash transfers in South Africa linked to later-life memory and dementia risk
A researchers’ team is testing whether government cash transfers in rural South Africa can help protect older adults from memory decline and dementia.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.