Trends in Alzheimer Disease Mortality Among American Indian and Alaska Native People Between 2011 and 2019

Solmaz Amiri; Luohua Jiang; Spero M Manson; Dedra S Buchwald

doi:10.1097/WAD.0000000000000555

Trends in Alzheimer Disease Mortality Among American Indian and Alaska Native People Between 2011 and 2019

Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2023 Apr-Jun;37(2):93-99. doi: 10.1097/WAD.0000000000000555. Epub 2023 Apr 28.

Authors

Solmaz Amiri¹, Luohua Jiang², Spero M Manson³, Dedra S Buchwald¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH), Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Seattle, WA.
² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA.
³ Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO.

Abstract

Purpose: The number of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people living with dementia is expected to increase 5-fold by 2060. Social determinants of health may explain disparities in the incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD) but remain largely overlooked.

Methods: We examined the time trend of AD mortality rates and associations of the percentage of AI/ANs, density of primary care physicians and neurologists, area deprivation index, rurality, and Indian Health Service region with AD mortality in 646 purchased/referred care delivery area counties.

Results: AD mortality rates significantly increased over time. Counties with higher concentrations of AI/AN people had lower AD mortality. More deprived counties had 34% higher AD mortality compared with less deprived counties. AD mortality was 20% lower in nonmetro counties than in metro counties.

Conclusions: Findings have implications for prioritizing areas where more resources for AD care, education, or outreach are needed.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alzheimer Disease* / ethnology
Alzheimer Disease* / mortality
American Indian or Alaska Native*
Humans
United States / epidemiology

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding