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Mapping social health and dementia risk: A register-based study of older adults in Finland
Elisa Cisotto, Margherita Moretti, Margherita Silan, Joan Damiens, Pietro Belloni, Kaarina Korhonen, Pekka Martikainen. Social Science & Medicine, 2026-03-05
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
This study investigates the role of individual and area-level social health factors in shaping geographic variation in dementia incidence among older adults in Finland. Using nationwide register data on all individuals born between 1935 and 1939 and residing in Finland in 2015 (N = 185,712), we estimate cumulative dementia incidence over a four-year follow-up period (2016-2019). To reduce compositional bias in geographical comparison, we applied Matching on poset-based Average Rank for Multiple Treatments (MARMoT), a non-parametric matching approach that balances observed individual level characteristics across municipalities. Spatial scan statistics were then used to identify geographic clusters of excess dementia incidence considering municipality-level contextual measures after adjustment for individual-level characteristics. Before MARMoT adjustment, several contiguous clusters of elevated dementia incidence were identified, particularly in eastern and southern Finland, with the highest risk cluster exhibiting a 36% higher incidence than the rest of the country. After balancing individual-level characteristics, some clusters attenuated, whereas others persisted or newly emerged, suggesting a confounding role of individual characteristics in the relationship between dementia incidence and place of residence. Excess incidence remained in parts of eastern Finland (21% - 51% excess risk) and emerged in west-central municipalities (27% excess risk). The inclusion of municipality-level indicators did not substantially alter these patterns. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for social health and socio-demographic composition in spatial analysis of dementia and demonstrate the value of integrating matching-based and spatial methods to distinguish compositional from contextual disparities in ageing societies.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Cisotto, E., Moretti, M., Silan, M., Damiens, J., Belloni, P., Korhonen, K., et al. (2026). Mapping social health and dementia risk: A register-based study of older adults in Finland. Social Science & Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119154
Vancouver
Cisotto E, Moretti M, Silan M, Damiens J, Belloni P, Korhonen K, et al. Mapping social health and dementia risk: A register-based study of older adults in Finland. Social Science & Medicine. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119154. PMID: 41825323.
BibTeX
@article{cisotto2026-41825323,
author = {Cisotto, Elisa and Moretti, Margherita and Silan, Margherita and Damiens, Joan and Belloni, Pietro and Korhonen, Kaarina and Martikainen, Pekka},
title = {{Mapping social health and dementia risk: A register-based study of older adults in Finland}},
journal = {Social Science \& Medicine},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119154},
pmid = {41825323},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119154}
}
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.
Key findings
- These findings underscore the importance of accounting for social health and socio-demographic composition in spatial analysis of dementia and demonstrate the value of integrating matching-based and spatial methods to distinguish compositional from contextual disparities in ageing societies.
Why it matters
Using nationwide register data on 185,712 older adults in Finland, geographic clusters of excess dementia incidence were identified, with the highest risk cluster showing 36% higher incidence than the rest of the country before adjustment, and some clusters persisting after balancing individual characteristics. The study is about social health and geographic variation in dementia incidence, not about treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants185,712
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Social Science & Medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Social Science & Medicine: journal h-index 391 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 | 4 / 4 | 185,712 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization 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 | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Pekka Martikainen: h-index 91 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Helsinki: institution h-index 1,201 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41825323) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119154
- PubMed: 41825323
- Original source →
- Free full text: Social Science & Medicine →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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