Exploring Parkinson's disease prevalence in regional, rural and remote Australia: A systematic scoping review

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Due to ageing populations, prevalence estimates for PD are set to increase in western countries including Australia.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of PD in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia, to inform the provision of equitable PD-specific care.

A scoping review, following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), was conducted. An electronic search of four databases and the search engine google scholar was completed in May 2022 and updated in September 2023. Article screening and quality appraisal were undertaken independently by at least two reviewers.

Of 514 records screened, six articles (between 1966 and 2019) were identified and included for review. Wide variations in PD prevalence were evident, ranging from 0.58 to 8.5 per 1000 people. Two studies suggested prevalence may be higher in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia than in urban localities.

The limited number of studies identified, and wide variation in prevalence rates makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions to inform heath care planning and resource allocation.

A paucity of reliable prevalence data indicates the need for well-designed, country-specific epidemiological studies to be conducted to estimate the actual impacts of the disease to inform public health planning, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas where access to PD-specific care is already inequitable.