Sex differences in dementia: on the potentially mediating effects of educational attainment and experiences of psychological distress.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Old-age dementias are known to disproportionally affect women as well as individuals with low educational attainment. The higher lifetime risk of dementia among women is usually attributed to their longer life expectancy. However, the impact of sex, and subsequent gender inequity, is likely to be more multifaceted than this explanation implies. Not least because of historical inequities in access to education between the sexes and the gender and socio-economic gradients in risk factors such as stress, depression and social isolation. Consequently, the present study sought to test whether differences in educational attainment and experiences of general psychological distress mediate the association between female sex and dementia.

Methods

The study utilizes data ob

SUBMITTER: Hasselgren C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7487622 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature