title: The prevalence of dementia in Belgium: a population-based door-to-door survey in a rural community.
abstract: The project Epidemiology Research on Dementia in Antwerp (ERDA) estimated the prevalence of dementia in a random, population-based sample, stratified for age and sex. The sample of 1,736 elderly was screened at home with the Mini-Mental State Examination. All elderly under the cutoff of 23-24/30 got a diagnostic examination with the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination and the DSM-IIIR criteria. The prevalence of dementia in the population above 65 years was estimated at 9%. The following age-specific prevalences of dementia (included mild dementia) were found in the age-groups 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85+: 0.6, 5.1, 7.6, 16.2 and 33.6%. The prevalence of at least moderate dementia was 0.3, 3.9, 4.0, 11.2 and 25.0%, respectively. The prevalence of dementia, vascular dementia and dementia of the Alzheimer type was markedly higher in women than in men.
authors.affiliation: Welfare Foundation Province of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roelands
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wostyn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dom
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baro
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors