Prevalence and determinants of self-reported all-cause dementia among middle-aged and older adults in the United States: Results from a nationally representative survey
- 1Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America
- 2Department of Optometry and Visual Science, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Abstract
Dementia encompasses a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders characterized by progressive cognitive decline that impairs memory, executive function, and activities of daily living. Although dementia includes multiple subtypes, nationally representative surveys often do not distinguish among them. Consequently, contemporary population-level estimates of self-reported all-cause dementia and its associated factors among middle-aged and older adults remain limited. This study estimated the prevalence of self-reported all-cause dementia and identified associated factors among middle-aged and older adults in the United States (U.S.). Secondary analyses used data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a nationally representative survey of the U.S civilian non-institutionalized population. Dementia status was ascertained via self-report using a binary indicator of whether respondents had ever been informed by a physician or other health professional that they had dementia. Survey-weighted descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics. Univariate and multivariate sequential logistic regression models examined factors associated with dementia, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) presented in a forest plot. The analytical sample included 130,312 adults aged 40–85 years; 52.3% were women. The prevalence of self-reported all-cause dementia was 1.6% and increased with age and comorbidity burden. In fully adjusted regression models, female sex and overweight or obesity were associated with lower odds of all-cause dementia, whereas older age, lower educational attainment, residence in the west, multimorbidity, depression, anxiety, and enrollment in Medicaid or other public insurance programs were associated with higher odds of all-cause dementia. Approximately 1 in 100 middle-aged and older adults in the U.S reported a diagnosis of dementia. Sociodemographic, educational, physical, and mental health factors were independently associated with dementia. Public health strategies that promote education, improve management of chronic diseases, and strengthen mental health care may help reduce the burden of dementia in this population. Author summary: Dementia is a health condition that affects memory, thinking, and the ability to carry out everyday activities. It includes several different categories, such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. However, many large national surveys do not collect information on the specific type of dementia a person has. In this study, we used data from more than 130,000 U.S. adults aged 40–85 years to estimate theburden of self-reported all-cause dementia, meaning any reported dementia diagnosis regardless of the subtype. Participants were considered to have dementia if they reported that a physician or other health professional had told them they had dementia. We found that about one in 100 middle-aged and older adults reported a dementia diagnosis. Dementia was more common among older adults and those with multiple chronic health conditions. Lower educational attainment, residence in the west, depression, anxiety, and enrollment in Medicaid or other public insurance programs were also associated with a greater likelihood of having dementia. In contrast, females and individuals who were overweight or obese had a lower likelihood of reporting dementia. These findings highlight need to improve education, support mental health, prevent and manage chronic diseases throughout life. Together, these strategies may help reduce the burden of dementia and promote healthier aging in the U.S.
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BibTeX
@article{boateng2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence and determinants of self-reported all-cause dementia among middle-aged and older adults in the United States: Results from a nationally representative survey}},
author = {Charllote Boateng and Isaiah Osei Duah Junior},
journal = {PLOS Aging and Health},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1371/journal.page.0000025},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.page.0000025},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence and determinants of self-reported all-cause dementia among middle-aged and older adults in the United States: Results from a nationally representative survey
AU - Charllote Boateng
AU - Isaiah Osei Duah Junior
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
JO - PLOS Aging and Health
DO - 10.1371/journal.page.0000025
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.page.0000025
AB - Dementia encompasses a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders characterized by progressive cognitive decline that impairs memory, executive function, and activities of daily living. Although dementia includes multiple subtypes, nationally representative surveys often do not distinguish among them. Consequently, contemporary population-level estimates of self-reported all-cause dementia and its associated factors among middle-aged and older adults remain limited. This study estimated the prevalence of self-reported all-cause dementia and identified associated factors among middle-aged and older adults in the United States (U.S.). Secondary analyses used data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a nationally representative survey of the U.S civilian non-institutionalized population. Dementia status was ascertained via self-report using a binary indicator of whether respondents had ever been informed by a physician or other health professional that they had dementia. Survey-weighted descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics. Univariate and multivariate sequential logistic regression models examined factors associated with dementia, with adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) presented in a forest plot. The analytical sample included 130,312 adults aged 40–85 years; 52.3% were women. The prevalence of self-reported all-cause dementia was 1.6% and increased with age and comorbidity burden. In fully adjusted regression models, female sex and overweight or obesity were associated with lower odds of all-cause dementia, whereas older age, lower educational attainment, residence in the west, multimorbidity, depression, anxiety, and enrollment in Medicaid or other public insurance programs were associated with higher odds of all-cause dementia. Approximately 1 in 100 middle-aged and older adults in the U.S reported a diagnosis of dementia. Sociodemographic, educational, physical, and mental health factors were independently associated with dementia. Public health strategies that promote education, improve management of chronic diseases, and strengthen mental health care may help reduce the burden of dementia in this population. Author summary: Dementia is a health condition that affects memory, thinking, and the ability to carry out everyday activities. It includes several different categories, such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. However, many large national surveys do not collect information on the specific type of dementia a person has. In this study, we used data from more than 130,000 U.S. adults aged 40–85 years to estimate theburden of self-reported all-cause dementia, meaning any reported dementia diagnosis regardless of the subtype. Participants were considered to have dementia if they reported that a physician or other health professional had told them they had dementia. We found that about one in 100 middle-aged and older adults reported a dementia diagnosis. Dementia was more common among older adults and those with multiple chronic health conditions. Lower educational attainment, residence in the west, depression, anxiety, and enrollment in Medicaid or other public insurance programs were also associated with a greater likelihood of having dementia. In contrast, females and individuals who were overweight or obese had a lower likelihood of reporting dementia. These findings highlight need to improve education, support mental health, prevent and manage chronic diseases throughout life. Together, these strategies may help reduce the burden of dementia and promote healthier aging in the U.S.
SN - 3070-801X
ER -