Prevalence of Subjective Cognitive Decline Among Older Multiracial Adults, 2019-2023

Background: The Multiracial population is the fastest-growing racial group in the United States but remains underrepresented in cognitive aging research. No national estimates exist for subjective cognitive decline (SCD)-a self-reported indicator of worsening memory associated with dementia risk-among older Multiracial adults. Methods: We used 2019-2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from states that administered the optional cognitive decline module (n = 599,874 adults aged ≥45). We estimated crude and age/sex-adjusted SCD prevalence by race and Hispanic ethnicity using survey-weighted logistic regression with predictive marginal standardization. Results: Adjusted SCD prevalence was highest among American Indian or Alaska Native (16.3%) and Multiracial (16.0%) adults, twice that of Asian adults (7.9%). Among Multiracial adults, state-level adjusted prevalence showed low variation (IQR: 18.5%-19.2%). Conclusions: These are the first national estimates of SCD for the Multiracial population, highlighting the need for inclusion in cognitive aging and dementia research.