Alzheimer’s Disease Among American Minority Populations: an Ecological Exploratory Study

Abstract

A significant public health concern with regards to increasing rates of Alzheimer’s is that it disproportionately affects minority groups in the United States. The present ecological exploratory study uses secondary aggregate data from the fifty United States. The purpose of this study is to address the disparities in Alzheimer’s in minority populations in the US and explore influencing factors. The “minority” populations considered were African American and Latino populations, and the “majority” population was referred to as “white”. The prevalence rates of Alzheimer’s disease were one-and-a-half times greater, and twice as greater in older Latinos and African Americans respectively, compared to older whites in the investigated time period. The data was extracted from the United States Census Bureau, the CDC National Center for Health Statistics, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Dataset. The major results from this study showed that being over 65 years old (p=.009), with a below-average median household income (p=.024), history of stroke (p=.029), and being a part of the Latino population (p=.036), are significantly associated with Alzheimer’s mortality rates in the United States. These findings show an association between Alzheimer’s mortality rates and being a part of a minority population in the United States. By identifying disparities in access to Alzheimer’s healthcare and at-risk communities, more comprehensive intervention strategies can be developed to promote change and advocate for more Alzheimer’s education and resource allocation for minority populations.