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Mapping the Trajectories of Social Relations for White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino Individuals Approaching Death With Dementia
Zachary G. Baker, Andrew G. Alberth, Marc Aaron Guest, Allie Peckham, Joahana Segundo, Joseph L Saenz. The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2025-04-12
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Social networks shrank linearly as death approached. A decrease in close friends primarily drove shrinkage. However, when race/ethnicity was crossed with time, Hispanic/Latino persons with dementia showed the opposite pattern. As Hispanic/Latino persons with dementia approached death, the number of close extended family members increased dramatically: one additional person every 4 years. Dementia risk, social networks, and patterns of social network shrinking are unequal across people of different races and ethnicities. Adding nuance to known patterns, network shrinkage may be a phenomenon of White persons with dementia. In contrast, patterns of stable or even increasing numbers of network members may better describe Black and Hispanic/Latino networks, respectively. These findings may reveal unique strengths of Black and Hispanic/Latino networks that could be leveraged to develop care and support for individuals with dementia and those they leave behind.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Baker, Z. G., Alberth, A. G., Guest, M. A., Peckham, A., Segundo, J., & Saenz, J. L. (2025). Mapping the Trajectories of Social Relations for White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino Individuals Approaching Death With Dementia. The Journals of Gerontology Series B. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf062
Vancouver
Baker ZG, Alberth AG, Guest MA, Peckham A, Segundo J, Saenz JL. Mapping the Trajectories of Social Relations for White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino Individuals Approaching Death With Dementia. The Journals of Gerontology Series B. 2025. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbaf062. PMID: 40220281.
BibTeX
@article{baker2025-40220281,
author = {Baker, Zachary G. and Alberth, Andrew G. and Guest, Marc Aaron and Peckham, Allie and Segundo, Joahana and Saenz, Joseph L},
title = {{Mapping the Trajectories of Social Relations for White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino Individuals Approaching Death With Dementia}},
journal = {The Journals of Gerontology Series B},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1093/geronb/gbaf062},
pmid = {40220281},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf062}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Social networks shrank linearly as death approached.
- A decrease in close friends primarily drove shrinkage.
- However, when race/ethnicity was crossed with time, Hispanic/Latino persons with dementia showed the opposite pattern.
- As Hispanic/Latino persons with dementia approached death, the number of close extended family members increased dramatically: one additional person every 4 years.
- Dementia risk, social networks, and patterns of social network shrinking are unequal across people of different races and ethnicities.
Why it matters
Social networks shrank as death approached for White people with dementia, while Hispanic/Latino people with dementia gained close extended family members and Black networks were more stable. The authors suggest these network strengths could be used to develop care and support, but this does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Participants2,301
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
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 (The Journals of Gerontology Series B) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | The Journals of Gerontology Series B: journal h-index 225 (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 | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 2,301 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 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.6× 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 Joseph L Saenz: h-index 20 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Arizona State University: institution h-index 987 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40220281) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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