Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Strength Together: Risk and protective factors for dementia and cognitive impairment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (120179)

Huong X. T. Nguyen 1 , Zoe Hyde 1 2 3 , Kate Smith 2 , Roslyn Malay 2 , Leon Flicker 3 , Kylie Radford 4 5 6 , Sarah Russell 7 8 , Rachel Quigley 7 8 , Betty Sagigi 7 9 , Edward Strivens 7 8 , Adrienne Withall 5 6 , Alison Timbery 4 , Terrence Donovan 4 , Brian Draper 10 , Kim Delbaere 11 12 , Louise Lavrencic 4 5 6 , Robert Cumming 13 , Jo-anne Hughson 1 , Rosie Watson 1 , Bridgette J. Mcnamara 14 15 , Dina LoGiudice 1
  1. Department of Medicine - Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  2. Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
  3. Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing, Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
  4. Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
  5. School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  6. Ageing Futures Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  7. College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
  8. Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Cairns, Australia
  9. Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, Thursday Island, Australia
  10. Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  11. Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, Australia
  12. School of Health Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
  13. School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  14. Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  15. Barwon South-West Public Health Unit, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia

Aims: Factors contributing to the higher rates of dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities vary across existing studies.  The aim of this study was to elucidate cross-sectional and longitudinal factors associated with dementia and Cognitive Impairment Not Dementia (CIND) in a harmonised dataset of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants.  

Methods:  Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the associations between risk and protective factors of interest and dementia and/or CIND diagnoses in a cross-sectional harmonised dataset of three cohort studies (n=898), with multinomial logistic regression used to account for the competing risk of death in a subset of participants followed up longitudinally (n=319). 

Results: 13% of 898 participants had a diagnosis of dementia and 15% had CIND.  Important factors associated with dementia and CIND included age (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.07-1.12), higher educational attainment (OR 0.49; 95% CI 0.26-0.93), stroke (OR 2.35; 95% CI 1.45-3.83), head injury with loss of consciousness (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.31-2.93), epilepsy (OR 3.56; 95% CI 1.59-7.95),  obesity (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.36-0.78) and antidepressant use (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.05-3.61).  Living in urban compared to remote areas, hearing impairment, urinary incontinence, mobility impairment and difficulties with certain activities of daily living were associated with a greater risk of incident dementia/CIND.

Conclusions:  This study reinforced important risk factors associated with dementia and CIND for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that may be clinically important for prevention and risk reduction but further validation is required.