The impact of education as a proxy for lifestyle habits on reducing the association with dementia prevalence in the Southern Region of Brazil

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dementia among older adults from Florianópolis, in the Southern Region of Brazil.

Methods: Data were originally drawn from the Epifloripa Aging Cohort Study, a representative and community-based survey designed to evaluate older people's health. This cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases: the community-screening phase, in which the Mini-Mental State Examination and a multifunctional scale were administered to older subjects and close informants, respectively; and the hospital-diagnosis phase, when the Cambridge Examination and the National Institute on Aging criteria were used. Adjustment for screening accuracy was made in order to estimate dementia prevalence.

Results: Of 1184 subjects evaluated in the community, 243 were screened for the diagnosis phase, in which 47 were identified with dementia, resulting in a crude prevalence of 4.5% (95% CI: 3.241-5.758) and an estimated prevalence of 9.2% (95% CI: 7.446-10.954). Dementia was associated with older ages, lower education levels, and the presence of stroke. Mild alcohol use (in comparison with no alcohol use), community-group practice, internet use and a higher level of physical activity, rather than education, decreased the odds ratio for dementia. Education was directly associated with these lifestyle habits.

Conclusions: Prevalence was lower than that in previous studies in the country, and multivariate analysis reinforced the importance of lifestyle in preventing cognitive disorders in the older population.