Social Determinants of Health in Community-Dwelling Dementia Patients Aged 65 and Over: Analysis of the 2019 National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias affect 3.4 million community-dwelling adults in the United States. Given the burden of disease, a greater understanding of modifiable risk factors is crucial for targeted public health strategies. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are modifiable risk factors categorized in five domains: economic status, education, healthcare access, environment, and community context. Although individual SDOH have been linked to dementia, limited research exists on the interaction of SDOH with dementia across multiple domains. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between SDOH across all five domains and dementia among community-dwelling adults in the United States. A cross-sectional study was performed on community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Respondents ( N = 9,277), of whom 303 (4%) self-reported positive dementia diagnosis, were predominantly female (55%), white (76%), and non-Hispanic (91%). Residing in a non-metropolitan area, having a usual place for healthcare, and receiving annual eye or dental exams were negatively associated with dementia. Minority compared to white status was not significantly associated with dementia, suggesting underdiagnosis of dementia within minority groups in the NHIS. We present the first comprehensive national view of SDOH among community-dwelling dementia patients in the United States.