Home › Research › Risk factors
Prevalence of dementia diagnosis in Sweden by geographical region and sociodemographic subgroups: a nationwide observational study
Mozhu Ding, Stina Ek, Emil Aho, Linus Jönsson, Katharina Schmidt‐Mende, Karin Modig. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, 2024-08-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
At the end of 2022, 3.7% (92,293/2,483,798) of people aged ≥62 years in Sweden had a dementia diagnosis from specialist care or drug prescriptions and varied from 0.6% in ages 62-69 to 14.8% in ages ≥90. The prevalence of cognitive impairment diagnosis was 2.5%. There was some geographical variation in the prevalence of dementia diagnosis, with a larger proportion of diagnoses coming from drug prescriptions than from specialist care in northern Sweden. While people born abroad and people without a close relative had a slightly higher prevalence of dementia diagnosis than Swedish born and those with close relatives, the prevalence was substantially lower for people living alone than for cohabiting individuals. Comparing case estimates from previous screening cohorts, our results suggest underdiagnosis of dementia in the general older population, particularly among people who live alone. In more rural areas with lower availability of memory clinics, primary care may play an important role in diagnosing older adults with dementia. Funding: Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare; Swedish Research Council; Region Stockholm.
Key findings
- At the end of 2022, 3.7% (92,293/2,483,798) of people aged ≥62 years in Sweden had a dementia diagnosis from specialist care or drug prescriptions and varied from 0.6% in ages 62-69 to 14.8% in ages ≥90.
- The prevalence of cognitive impairment diagnosis was 2.5%.
- There was some geographical variation in the prevalence of dementia diagnosis, with a larger proportion of diagnoses coming from drug prescriptions than from specialist care in northern Sweden.
- While people born abroad and people without a close relative had a slightly higher prevalence of dementia diagnosis than Swedish born and those with close relatives, the prevalence was substantially lower for people living alone than for cohabiting individuals.
- Comparing case estimates from previous screening cohorts, our results suggest underdiagnosis of dementia in the general older population, particularly among people who live alone.
Why it matters
In Sweden, 3.7% of people aged 62 and over had a dementia diagnosis at the end of 2022, with some geographic variation. The authors suggest dementia is underdiagnosed in the general older population, particularly among people who live alone.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Risk factors, ranked →
Study details
- Effect size3.7%; 0.6%; 14.8%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Lancet Regional Health - Europe) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | The Lancet Regional Health - Europe: journal h-index 88 (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 | 2024 — within 3 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 | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | 3 / 7 | Cited 18 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.5 citations a year over 4 year(s) since 2024 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 18 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Karin Modig: h-index 32 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Karolinska Institutet: institution h-index 1,477 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39247902) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101029
- PubMed: 39247902
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Lancet Regional Health - Europe →
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Ding, M., Ek, S., Aho, E., Jönsson, L., Schmidt‐Mende, K., & Modig, K. (2024). Prevalence of dementia diagnosis in Sweden by geographical region and sociodemographic subgroups: a nationwide observational study. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101029
Vancouver
Ding M, Ek S, Aho E, Jönsson L, Schmidt‐Mende K, Modig K. Prevalence of dementia diagnosis in Sweden by geographical region and sociodemographic subgroups: a nationwide observational study. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe. 2024. doi:10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101029. PMID: 39247902.
BibTeX
@article{ding2024-39247902,
author = {Ding, Mozhu and Ek, Stina and Aho, Emil and Jönsson, Linus and Schmidt‐Mende, Katharina and Modig, Karin},
title = {{Prevalence of dementia diagnosis in Sweden by geographical region and sociodemographic subgroups: a nationwide observational study}},
journal = {The Lancet Regional Health - Europe},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101029},
pmid = {39247902},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.101029}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
3 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Risk factors
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.