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. 2025 Jul;21(7):e70524.
doi: 10.1002/alz.70524.

Social determinants of dementia: A scoping review

Sebastian Walsh  1 , Matthias Klee  2 , Esther K Hui  3 , Usman Saeed  4   5 , Sheena Waters  6 , Isla Kuhn  1 , Joyce Siette  7 , Vasiliki Orgeta  3 , Jean Stafford  8 , Laura J Smith  6 , Stefano Tamburin  9 , Daria E A Jensen  10   11 , Elisa Mantovani  9 , Avinash Chandra  6 , Sarah-Naomi James  12 , Eugene Y H Tang  13 , David J Llewellyn  14 , Isabelle F Foote  15 , Scott T Chiesa  12 , Anouk F J Geraets  16 ; DEMON SDOH International Research Group
Affiliations

Social determinants of dementia: A scoping review

Sebastian Walsh et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Dementia risk is influenced by the social conditions in which people live. These social determinants of dementia (SDOD) are potential targets for prevention. We conducted a comprehensive scoping review to identify current evidence on SDOD in two stages: (1) review of systematic reviews on SDOD; and (2) review of primary literature to address identified gaps in the evidence base. Of the 3445 articles screened, 26 reviews and 74 primary studies were included. Evidence from reviews provide clear and consistent patterns for some SDOD (e.g., education, air pollution, socioeconomic status, ethnicity), while evidence for others is still emerging (e.g., housing quality/stability), or lacking entirely (e.g., incarceration). SDOD are important over the life course. Additional evidence is needed for understudied domains and to unravel the complex interactions between determinants, whilst education and air pollution stand out as key targets for public health interventions. HIGHLIGHTS: There is clear and consistent evidence for some social determinants of dementia (SDOD) across diverse domains. Evidence for other SDOD (e.g., housing, incarceration) is still emerging or lacking. Evidence for SDOD comes mainly from high-income countries. The complex intercorrelations between SDODs demand a nuanced analytical approach. Standardized measures and longer follow-up to study SDOD are recommended.

Keywords: dementia; employment; ethnicity; food environment; geography; housing; income; inequalities; physical environment; pollution; poverty; review; social determinants; social inclusion; socioeconomic status.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Author disclosures are available in the Supporting Information.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) flowchart.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Modified radar plot showing the availability of current evidence on social determinants of dementia, by domain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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