title: Prevalence of dementia-associated disability among Chinese older adults: results from a national sample survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Due to rapid population aging and a tidal wave of dementia, dementia has become an urgent public health issue in China. Few large-scale surveys on dementia have been conducted in China and little was known about the magnitude of dysfunction and disability caused by dementia. In this study, using national sample survey data, we aimed to describe the prevalence rate of dementia-associated disability, its associated factors, and daily activities and social functions of people with dementia-associated disability in Chinese older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the second China National Sample Survey on Disability, comprising 2,526,145 persons from 771,797 households. Identification for dementia was based on consensus manuals. Standard weighting procedures were used to construct sample weights considering the multistage stratified cluster sampling survey scheme. Population weighted numbers, weighted prevalence, and the odd ratios (ORs) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence rate of dementia-associated disability was 4.64% (95% CI: 4.26-5.01) and it accounted for 41.03% of mental disability among Chinese older adults. Urban residence (OR: 1.33 [1.12-1.57]), older age (80+ years) (OR: 4.12 [3.38-.03]), illiteracy (OR: 1.79 [1.27-2.53]), and currently not married (OR: 1.15 [1.00-1.32]) were associated with increased risk of dementia-associated disability. Compared with those with mental disability of other causes and those with other types of disabilities, older adults with dementia-asscoiated disability were more likely to have severe or extreme difficulty in daily activities and social functions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Countermeasures are warranted to obtain a more precise overview of dementia in China, and strategies on enhancing early identification, treatment, and rehabilitation should be developed for people with dementia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, China.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, China.
authors.forename: Gong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Research, Peking University, China. Electronic address: xzheng@pku.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaoying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: Chinese population; Dementia; disability; older adults