title: Prevalence and incidence of dementia among indigenous populations: a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Indigenous populations may be at increased risk, compared with majority populations, for the development of dementia due to lower education levels and socio-economic status, higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and alcohol abuse, an aging population structure, and poorer overall health. This is the first systematic review investigating the prevalence and incidence of dementia in indigenous populations worldwide.
  
  
  METHODS
  This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycInfo for relevant papers published up to April 2015. Studies were included if they reported prevalence or incidence, the disease typically occurred after the age of 45, the study population included indigenous people, and the study was conducted in the general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen studies representing five countries (Canada, Australia, the USA, Guam, Brazil) met the inclusion criteria. Dementia prevalence ranged from 0.5% to 20%. Retrospective studies relying on medical records for diagnoses had much lower prevalence rates and a higher risk of bias than population-based prospective studies performing their own diagnoses with culturally appropriate cognitive assessment methods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of dementia among indigenous populations appears to be higher than it is for non-indigenous populations. Despite a building body of evidence supporting the need for dementia research among indigenous populations, there is a paucity of epidemiological research, none of which is of high quality.
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health,University of Toronto,Toronto,Ontario,Canada.
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.affiliation: Health and Rehabilitation Sciences,Western University,London,Ontario,Canada.
authors.forename: Qiyun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health,University of Toronto,Toronto,Ontario,Canada.
authors.forename: Kue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,College of Public Health,University of South Florida,Tampa,Florida,USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borenstein
authors.affiliation: George Institute for Global Health,Sydney,NSW,Australia.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martiniuk
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D001315:Australia / Q000208:ethnology; D001938:Brazil / Q000208:ethnology; D002170:Canada / Q000208:ethnology; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D006141:Guam / Q000208:ethnology; D015994:Incidence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology; D000081034:Indigenous Peoples / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: dementia; global; incidence; indigenous; prevalence