The Influence of Socioeconomic Deprivation on Dementia Mortality, Age at Death, and Quality of Diagnosis: A Nationwide Death Records Study in England and Wales 2001–2017

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Jitlal, Mark^{a; 1} | Amirthalingam, Guru N.K.^{a; 1} | Karania, Tasvee^a | Parry, Eve^a | Neligan, Aidan^{a; d; e} | Dobson, Ruth^{a; b} | Noyce, Alastair J.^{a; b; c} | Marshall, Charles R.^{a; b; f; *}

Affiliations: [a] Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK | [b] Department of Neurology, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK | [c] Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK | [d] Department of Neurology, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK | [e] Department of Experimental & Clinical Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK | [f] Dementia Research Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Dr. Charles Marshall, Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK. E-mail: charles.marshall@qmul.ac.uk.

Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: Background:Socioeconomic deprivation may be an important determinant of dementia risk, mortality, and access to diagnostic services. Premature mortality from other causes and under-representation of deprived individuals in research may lead to this effect being overlooked. Objective:We assessed the relationship between deprivation and dementia mortality using comprehensive death certificate data for England and Wales from 2001 to 2017. Methods:We used standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and a Poisson model to compare likelihood of dying from dementia in each deprivation decile. We also examined the associations of deprivation with age at death from dementia, and with likelihood of receiving a diagnosis of unspecified dementia. Results:Risk of dying from dementia was higher in more deprived deciles (Mean SMR [95% CI] in decile 1 : 0.528 [0.506 to 0.550], decile 10:0.369 [0.338 to 0.400]). In 2017, 14,837 excess dementia deaths were attributable to deprivation (21.5% of all dementia deaths that year). There were dose-response associations of deprivation with likelihood of being older at death with dementia (odds ratio [95% CI] for decile 10 (least deprived): 1.31 [1.28 to 1.33] relative to decile 1), and with likelihood of receiving a diagnosis of unspecified dementia (odds ratio [95% CI] for decile 10:0.78 [0.76 to 0.80] relative to decile 1). Conclusion:Socioeconomic deprivation in England and Wales is associated with increased dementia mortality, younger age at death with dementia, and poorer access to specialist diagnosis. Reducing social inequality may have a role in the prevention of dementia mortality.

Keywords: Age at death, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, deprivation, diagnosis, mortality, socioeconomic status

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-210089

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 81, no. 1, pp. 321-328, 2021