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Primary Submission Category: Aging

Rural residence and dementia prevalence over time and across sociodemographic subpopulations in the United States

Authors:  Meghan Zacher, Susan Short,

Presenting Author: Bhumi Shah*

Among older adults in the United States, residents of rural areas are disproportionately affected by dementia, a syndrome marked by declining cognitive function and memory that is poised to become one of the most significant population health challenges of the century. However, few studies have examined whether and how rural disadvantage in dementia prevalence varies over time. Furthermore, little is known about which rural subpopulations are most affected, or for whom rural-urban disparities in the prevalence of dementia are largest and smallest. Understanding how the prevalence of dementia varies across places, over time, and across subpopulations is necessary for anticipating and planning for the challenges associated with dementia. Such efforts are particularly important in rural communities, where access to quality healthcare and other services for people with dementia and their loved ones is often severely limited. The current study will address these gaps in knowledge by estimating dementia prevalence among rural and urban Americans over the period 2000 to 2020 and across sociodemographic subpopulations, including by gender, ethnoracial identification, and level of education. Data will be from those ages 65 and older in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of older U.S. adults. Analyses will consider multiple measures of rurality and will account for changes in the classification of rural areas. Analyses will also examine the extent to which patterns are explained by trends or disparities in social and economic circumstances, health profiles, and local contextual factors.