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Published on: October 13, 2016
Prevalence of dementia in urban and regional Aboriginal Australians
Kylie Radford1, Holly A Mack2, Brian Draper3
1Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia; Ageing Research Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Background:
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dementia in collaboration with urban/regional Aboriginal communities.
Methods:
A census of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women aged 60 years and above in the target communities identified 546 potential participants, with 336 (61.5%) participating in this cross-sectional study. Participants completed a structured interview and cognitive screening tests. One hundred fifty-three participants also completed a detailed medical assessment. Assessment data were reviewed by a panel of clinicians who determined a diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) according to standard criteria.
Results:
Crude prevalence of dementia was 13.4%, and age-standardized prevalence was 21.0%. The most common types of dementia were Alzheimer's dementia (44%) and mixed dementia diagnoses (29%). Estimated prevalence of MCI was 17.7%.
Conclusion:
Consistent with previous findings in a remote population, urban and regional Aboriginal Australians face high rates of dementia at younger ages, most commonly Alzheimer's dementia.
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