| 1. |
- Palmer, Katie, et al.
(author)
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Prevalence of dementia and factors associated with dementia in rural Bangladesh : data from a cross-sectional, population-based study
- 2014
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In: International psychogeriatrics. - : International Psychogeriatric Association. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 26:11, s. 1905-1915
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: There are currently no published reports of dementia prevalence or factors associated with dementia occurrence in Bangladesh. The aims are to report the prevalence of definite and questionable dementia in rural Bangladesh, and examine factors potentially associated with dementia occurrence, including sociodemographic, clinical, social, and nutritional factors. Methods: We used data from a population-based, cross-sectional study from Matlab, in rural Bangladesh, on 471 persons aged 60+ years. Participants underwent a clinical examination including diagnosis of somatic disorders, and a structured interview including questions about sociodemographic and social factors. Nutritional status was measured with the Mini Nutritional Assessment, and blood tests were conducted to assess a range of nutritional and clinical aspects. Age-and sex-specific dementia prevalence was calculated. Crude and adjusted logistic regression was used to examine associations between dementia and clinical, social, and nutritional factors. Dementia was diagnosed using a two-step procedure by physicians according to DSM-IV criteria. Results: The prevalence of questionable dementia was 11.5% and definite dementia was 3.6%. Dementia prevalence increased with increasing years of age (adjusted OR: 1.04; 95% CI = 1.002-1.1) and decreased with more years of education (adjusted OR: 0.8; 95% CI = 0.6-0.99). Being malnourished increased the odds of dementia almost six-fold (adjusted OR: 5.9; 95% CI = 1.3-26.3), while frequent participation in social activities was associated with a decreased odds (adjusted OR: 0.5; 95% CI = 0.2-0.9). Conclusions: The prevalence of dementia in rural Bangladesh is similar to other countries in the South Asia region, but lower than reports from other world regions. Malnutrition is strongly associated with dementia occurrence, and is a relevant area for future research within low-income countries.
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| 2. |
- Sternäng, Ola, et al.
(author)
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A cross-cultural perspective on aging and memory : Comparisons between Bangladesh and Sweden
- 2012
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In: PsyCh Journal. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2046-0252 .- 2046-0260. ; 52, s. 518-518
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most studies on cognitive aging have been conducted in high-income countries (mainly on Western populations). The main aim of this study was to compare the relative importance of predictors of episodic and semantic memory performance in older people (≥60 years) from Bangladesh (n = 400) and Sweden (n = 1,098). Hierarchical regression models were used in order to study the importance of some commonly used predictors in the two countries. A main finding was that variations in age did not have much impact on episodic and semantic memory performance in Bangladesh. Instead, sex was a strong predictor for semantic memory performance. In Sweden this pattern was reversed. In the Western world, chronological age is believed to be strongly associated with memory performance in cross-sectional studies, particularly in people greater than 60 years of age. This study indicates that the difference between the two countries (in relative importance of the predictors included in this study) is mainly due to the fact that years of education is connected to age in the Western world but to sex in Bangladesh. It remains to be examined whether earlier selective survival is also responsible for the relative absence of cognitive age differences in Bangladesh.
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| 3. |
- Sternäng, Ola, et al.
(author)
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Associations Between Functional Biological Age and Cognition Among Older Adults in Rural Bangladesh : Comparisons With Chronological Age
- 2019
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In: Journal of Aging and Health. - : SAGE Publications. - 0898-2643 .- 1552-6887. ; 31:5, s. 814-836
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: We constructed a functional biological age (fBioAge) indicator by using four functional variables: grip strength, forced expiratory lung volume, visual acuity, and hearing. Our aim was to compare how chronological age (ChronAge) and fBioAge are related to cognitive abilities in older adults. Method: We used data from the Poverty and Health in Aging project, Bangladesh. Participants (N = 400) were 60+ years of age and diagnosed as nondemented. Examined cognitive abilities were four episodic memory measures (including recall and recognition), two verbal fluency indicators, two semantic knowledge, and two processing speed tasks. Results: fBioAge accounted for cognitive variance beyond that explained by ChronAge also after controlling for medical diagnoses and blood markers. Discussion: Compared with ChronAge, fBioAge was a stronger predictor of cognition during a broad part of the old adult span. fBioAge seems, in that respect, to have the potential to become a useful age indicator in future aging studies.
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| 4. |
- Sternäng, Ola, et al.
(author)
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Different Context but Similar Cognitive Structures : Older Adults in Rural Bangladesh
- 2016
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In: Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0169-3816 .- 1573-0719. ; 31:2, s. 143-156
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Most research in cognitive aging is based on literate participants from high-income and Western populations. The extent to which findings generalize to low-income and illiterate populations is unknown. The main aim was to examine the structure of between-person differences in cognitive functions among elderly from rural Bangladesh. We used data from the Poverty and Health in Aging (PHA) project in Bangladesh. The participants (n=452) were in the age range 60-92 years. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the fit of a five-factor model (episodic recall, episodic recognition, verbal fluency, semantic knowledge, processing speed) and to examine whether the model generalized across age, sex, and literacy. This study demonstrates that an established model of cognition is valid also among older persons from rural Bangladesh. The model demonstrated strong (or scalar) invariance for age, and partial strong invariance for sex and literacy. Semantic knowledge and processing speed showed weak (or metric) sex invariance, and semantic knowledge demonstrated also sensitivity to illiteracy. In general, women performed poorer on all abilities. The structure of individual cognitive differences established in Western populations also fits a population in rural Bangladesh well. This is an important prerequisite for comparisons of cognitive functioning (e.g., declarative memory) across cultures. It is also worth noting that absolute sex differences in cognitive performance among rural elderly in Bangladesh differ from those usually found in Western samples.
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| 5. |
- Wahlin, Åke, et al.
(author)
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The International Network on Public Health and Aging (INOPA) : Introducing a Life Course Perspective to the Public Health Agenda
- 2008
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In: Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0169-3816 .- 1573-0719. ; 23:1, s. 97-105
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper, we present an international network of researchers from projects examining the human aging process and its consequences. It is both vital and urgent to include aging and a life course perspective on the public health agenda, particularly in low-income countries. By announcing the network in a publication, we wish not just to position the network but, more importantly, to attract the attention of other potential collaborators either at the project, institutional, decision making, or applied level.
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