Home › Research › Prevention trials
Differences in the prevalence and patterns of dementia risk factors across 14 countries and regions: a harmonised cross-national analysis
Emma L. Nichols, Zachary J. Kunicki, Michael Markot, Drystan F. Phillips, Jenny Wilkens, Alden L. Gross, Jinkook Lee. The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 2026-06-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Data on 214 251 respondents were included in the study. We observed some variation in the prevalence and patterns (by age, gender, and education) of risk factors between HICs and LMICs. For example, low education had higher prevalence in many LMICs (85·6% [95% CI 84·8-86·5] in China vs 12·0% [95% CI 11·3-12·7] in the US), whereas obesity was more prevalent in HICs than in LMICs (44·9% [95% CI 43·3-46·5] in the US vs 13·3% [95% CI 12·9-13·7] in India). Risk factor distributions differed by age group, gender, and education, although patterns were not consistent across all settings. Risk factors commonly co-occurred across settings, with more than 50% of individuals having at least two risk factors across all countries and regions. Moreover, broadly similar clusters of risk factors-related to cardiovascular diseases, risky behaviours, and social or sensory factors-were observed across settings. Differences in the prevalence and patterns of dementia risk factors highlight the need to tailor prevention strategies to specific contexts. However, findings also reveal consistent patterns in risk factor co-occurrence and clustering, which could guide the design of multidomain interventions and policy approaches to reduce dementia risk across settings. Overall, these findings support the use of both context-specific and shared approaches to reduce the burden of dementia. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health.
Key findings
- Data on 214 251 respondents were included in the study.
- We observed some variation in the prevalence and patterns (by age, gender, and education) of risk factors between HICs and LMICs.
- For example, low education had higher prevalence in many LMICs (85·6% [95% CI 84·8-86·5] in China vs 12·0% [95% CI 11·3-12·7] in the US), whereas obesity was more prevalent in HICs than in LMICs (44·9% [95% CI 43·3-46·5] in the US vs 13·3% [95% CI 12·9-13·7] in India).
- Risk factor distributions differed by age group, gender, and education, although patterns were not consistent across all settings.
- Risk factors commonly co-occurred across settings, with more than 50% of individuals having at least two risk factors across all countries and regions.
Why it matters
This cross-national analysis found differences in the prevalence and patterns of dementia risk factors across 14 countries and regions. It supports tailoring prevention strategies to context, but it did not test whether any intervention reduces dementia.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Study designcross-sectional
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a snapshot of people at one point in time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (The Lancet Healthy Longevity) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | The Lancet Healthy Longevity: journal h-index 78 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 4 / 12 | A snapshot of people at one point in time |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.5 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Jinkook Lee: h-index 48 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 42437564) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.lanhl.2026.100867
- PubMed: 42437564
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Lancet Healthy Longevity →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Nichols, E. L., Kunicki, Z. J., Markot, M., Phillips, D. F., Wilkens, J., Gross, A. L., et al. (2026). Differences in the prevalence and patterns of dementia risk factors across 14 countries and regions: a harmonised cross-national analysis. The Lancet Healthy Longevity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanhl.2026.100867
Vancouver
Nichols EL, Kunicki ZJ, Markot M, Phillips DF, Wilkens J, Gross AL, et al. Differences in the prevalence and patterns of dementia risk factors across 14 countries and regions: a harmonised cross-national analysis. The Lancet Healthy Longevity. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.lanhl.2026.100867. PMID: 42437564.
BibTeX
@article{nichols2026-42437564,
author = {Nichols, Emma L. and Kunicki, Zachary J. and Markot, Michael and Phillips, Drystan F. and Wilkens, Jenny and Gross, Alden L. and Lee, Jinkook},
title = {{Differences in the prevalence and patterns of dementia risk factors across 14 countries and regions: a harmonised cross-national analysis}},
journal = {The Lancet Healthy Longevity},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1016/j.lanhl.2026.100867},
pmid = {42437564},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanhl.2026.100867}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Prevention trials
Also tagged “prevalence”
1,224 studies in the library carry the topic tag “prevalence”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,224 tagged studies.