Pathways to Racial/Ethnic Inequalities in Dementia

Abstract

Individuals from minoritized racial/ethnic groups face a disproportionate burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. This health inequality reflects structural racism, which creates and sustains racial differences in social determinants of health, including education access and quality, economic stability, social and community context, neighborhood and built environment, and health care access and quality. Thus, understanding pathways that lead to dementia inequalities requires addressing individual- and system-level factors. This article summarizes evidence linking each social determinant of health to racial/ethnic inequalities in dementia, emphasizing upstream factors and mechanisms as potential levels of intervention. The importance of resilience in marginalized groups as well as critical research considerations for dementia inequalities are also discussed. Future directions highlight the need to understand the common and unique mechanisms driving inequalities across minoritized groups, where research is lacking.