2022 International Conference on Aging in the Americas

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is the sixth leading cause of death for all Americans and the fourth and third leading cause of death for older Black and Latino Americans, respectively. The effects of where people live, and the social determinants of health are under-recognized and under-appreciated in our national response to effectively treat and prevent ADRD. This study compares counties with the highest prevalence of ADRD among Blacks, Latinos, and non-Latino Whites against counties with the lowest prevalence among these populations to identify trends related to the social determinants of health and risk factors for ADRD. The analysis finds deep social inequities in counties highlight impacted by ADRD among Latinos and Blacks. For example, counties with the highest prevalence of ADRD among Blacks and Latinos are more likely to have higher levels of poverty, less household income, less access to exercise opportunities, and less educational attainment compared to counties with the lowest prevalence among Blacks and Latinos. We observed less drastic differences in social determinants in counties with the highest prevalence of ADRD among non-Latino Whites when compared to counties with the lowest prevalence of ADRD. Understanding the geographic impacts of ADRD is critical given the growing burden the disease is placing on families, our healthcare system, and our economy, and can help public health departments, policymakers and community researchers better address barriers to healthcare access, research participation, and prevention in communities at the greatest risk for ADRD.