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. 2024 Feb;20(2):798-808.
doi: 10.1002/alz.13467. Epub 2023 Oct 1.

Data-driven lifestyle patterns and risk of dementia in older Australian women

Sara E Dingle  1 , Steven J Bowe  2   3 , Melissa Bujtor  1   4 , Catherine M Milte  1 , Robin M Daly  1 , Julie Byles  5 , Dominic Cavenagh  5 , Susan J Torres  1
Affiliations

Data-driven lifestyle patterns and risk of dementia in older Australian women

Sara E Dingle et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Feb.

Abstract

Introduction: Many lifestyle factors have been associated with dementia, but there is limited evidence of how these group together. The aim of this study was to examine the clustering of lifestyle behaviors and associations with dementia.

Methods: This population-based study included 9947 older Australian women. Latent class analysis was employed to identify distinct lifestyle classes, and Cox proportional hazard regression compared these with incident dementia over 17 years.

Results: Three classes were identified: (1) "highly social and non-smokers" (54.9%), (2) "highly social, smokers, and drinkers" (25.1%), and (3) "inactive and low socializers" (20.0%). Women in Class 3 exhibited a higher risk of dementia compared to both Class 1 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08 to 1.30) and Class 2 (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.25).

Discussion: A lifestyle pattern characterized by physical inactivity and low social engagement may be particularly detrimental for dementia risk in older women and should be prioritized in preventive strategies.

Highlights: Latent class analysis was employed to identify distinct lifestyle clusters. Three lifestyle-related clusters were differentially associated with dementia risk. Inactive and low socializers exhibited the greatest risk of dementia. Targeting physical inactivity and low social engagement in prevention is vital.

Keywords: data-driven; dementia; health-related behaviors; latent class analysis; lifestyle patterns; older women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author disclosures are available in the supporting information.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Kaplan‐Meier curves of dementia‐free probabilities across follow‐up by lifestyle class. Class 1: “Highly social and non‐smokers” (54.9%); Class 2: “Highly social, smokers and drinkers” (25.1%); Class 3: “Inactive and low socializers” (20.0%).
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