Is the Risk of Dementia Higher Among Agricultural Workers? A Longitudinal Study from Jages

Author : Lingling, Ide Kazushige, Kondo katsunori

Abstract :Previous research indicates that dementia is more common in rural areas. However, it is unclear whether this is due to rural living conditions or the larger number of agricultural workers. This study examines if the risk of dementia is linked to living in a rural area or working in agriculture. We analyzed six years of data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), which included older adults not certified for long-term care. The main outcome was the incidence of dementia, and the key factors were the degree of urbanization and engagement in agriculture. Agricultural work was defined by the longest-held occupation reported in a self-administered questionnaire. Multilevel analysis was used, adjusting for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. Our findings show that living in rural areas increases the risk of dementia compared to urban areas. However, working in agriculture does not add extra risk. This suggests that other rural factors contribute to the higher dementia incidence.

Keywords :Dementia, Rural Areas, Agricultural Work, Urbanization, Cognitive Decline, Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), Multilevel Analysis, Socioeconomic Status, Public Health, Aging Population.

Conference Name :International Conference on Public Health and Adult Care (ICPHAC-25)

Conference Place Freetown, Sierra Leone

Conference Date 17th Feb 2025