Older Adult Demographics Unrelated to Alzheimer’s Disease Warning Signs

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To determine whether demographics such as age, race, and gender are related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) warning signs in adults over the age of 50. Methods Adults aged 50+ were asked to complete a survey including: demographics (age, gender, marital status, living situation, race, and education), health, and AD warning signs experienced in the previous year. Surveys were distributed in person and online via social media and email. SPSS 26 was used to run one-way ANOVA and Pearson's correlations. Results There was no relationship or difference between any of the demographic variables and warning signs of AD experienced over the previous year. There was a difference between groups based on living situation (F = 3.701 [2, 85], P = 0.029), which disappeared when outliers were excluded. Conclusions There is no significant relationship between the number of warning signs of AD experienced by any demographic variables, including age, when outliers are controlled for, contradicting previous studies that listed age, race, and gender as risk factors. Since demographic data are not related to AD symptoms, it is necessary to include cognitive assessment as part of health screenings for older adults before symptoms impact activities of daily living. Funding Sources None.