2023 Alzheimer's Association Research Grant to Promote Diversity (AARG-D)
Impact of education and occupation on gender differences in dementia
How do differences in education and occupation contribute to gender disparities in the risk of Alzheimer’s?
Judith Rijnhart, Ph.D.
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL - United States
Background
According to the 2023 Alzheimer’s Association Facts and Figures report, almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. Although there are some ideas as to the reason behind this difference, including the fact that women’s longer life expectancy, researchers are studying other factors that might explain this disparity.
Studies have shown that higher education and maintaining a career throughout one’s life may be protective against cognitive decline. Dr. Judith Rijnhart and colleagues believe differences in education and career opportunities between men and women may contribute to one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Research Plan
For their studies, Dr. Rijnhart and the team will use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), one of the largest datasets on occupation history for older individuals in the United Studies. They will first focus on the association between both job skill level and the total time one was employed throughout their lifetime with Alzheimer’s incidence in both males and females. Next, the team will use this data to quantify to what extent gender differences in education and occupation account for the differences in Alzheimer’s risk between men and women.
Impact
The findings may improve our understanding of the factors contributing to gender disparities in Alzheimer’s risk and prevalence.