| Background: Dementia is one of the world's biggest health problems, and is a major public health challenge that is becoming more common as the aged population grows. China is the largest developing country in the world and has entered the aging society with its population group of over 60 years old reaching about one hundred fifty million, which accounts for 10% of the total population. It is estimated that there were five million dementia in China in 2001(a country with the largest number of people with dementia), and by 2040 there will be as so many people with dementia in China alone as in the whole of the developed world put together. Moreover, statistics showed that dementia has become the third killer to people's health, after CCVD and tumor; it is the main cause of death, disability and a dependent life among the elders in modern society. Dementia not only decreases the life quality but also brings severely impair and heavy burden to both society and families.Objectives: This study aims at investigating the prevalence and risk factors of dementia among the elderly in rural community of Anhui Province and providing scientific basis to the policy-makers for making proper community intervention and preventive measures on detention in the older population.Methods: In 2003, our team carried out a cross sectional investigation to 1600 elders (1600 peasants aged≥60 years and lived there for more than 5 years) from the villages of Yingshang Country in Anhui province. In 2004, a re-interviewed was paid to this population which showed that this population has a characteristic of low mobility and good compliance. From July to October in 2008, our team paid a third visit to this population and carried on a cross sectional study of dementia. The survey was divided into two stages: case screening and case conformation. Case screening stages, dementia was screened by using the"10/66"(The two-thirds (66%) of people with dementia living in low and middle income countries, and the 10% or less of population-based research that has been carried out in those regions)algorithm, and a health and risk factors record, which was derived partly from the Minimum Data Set (MDS). In the second stage, clinical doctors diagnoses to those who were screened as a suspicious case by the scale. Face-to-face interviews participants were interviewed at home by a trained survey team, all data were analyzed by using the SPSS. All the data were imputed into computers by Eptdata3.10 and analyzed by SPSS11.0. Used ratio/ constitution ratio to analyzed the count data, all data Comparison throughχ2 test and Fisher test, and risk factor of dementia was analyzed by single and multi factor Logistic Regression Model.Result: (1) The prevalence rate of dementia was 5.60%. The prevalence of dementia in males and females were 4.77% and 6.30% respectively. (2) Multinomial Logistic Regression analysis show that the major risk factors of the dementia were being illiterate,didn't do manual labor, self-assessed poor physical health status,lack of interests and hobbies, impaired of activities of daily living(ADL) and economic deprivation. (3) The"10/66"algorithm has high reliability and validity,which can be used in the screening and diagnosis of the dementia..Conclusion: (1) The prevalence of dementia is higher than what is expected. (2)Illiterate,lacked and impaired of activities of daily living(ADL), self-assessed poor physical health status,lacked of interests and hobbies, and economic deprivation people were the high-risk population of dementia in the rural community and when interventions are made, they should be focused on. (3) This study, was a cross-sectional survey, would be strengthen the cohort study and progression&prognosis of dementia in the future. |
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