DEMENTIA is the leading cause of death in Australia, yet little is known about whether rural Australians are more likely to develop the condition than those in cities.
A new University of South Australia project – Re-ACTIVate – is working with regional communities to identify if country-based people are more susceptible to dementia and to develop prevention strategies tailored to rural areas.
Re-ACTIVate will assess modifiable dementia risk factors among older rural people, then co-design a practical prevention toolkit that meets the needs of rural communities. The study builds upon UniSA’s earlier ACTIVate research, which found that how older people spend their time can affect cognition and brain volume.
Lead researcher and cognitive ageing expert Associate Professor Ashleigh Smith said the study will compare dementia risk factors and brain health between rural and urban adults.
“We know there are at least 14 modifiable risk factors for dementia, which include things like smoking, diet, exercise and social isolation and we have data on how these risk factors affect people living in Australian cities,” she said.
“We also know that people living in rural and remote communities face different challenges, including access to health services, continuity of care, fewer places to be physically active, and different work and social patterns.
“This project will examine the lifestyle behaviours that increase dementia risk in rural and regional communities, then work with those same communities to co-design early prevention strategies.”
PhD candidate Britt Burton said there is a critical need for a public health strategy targeting dementia risk in rural Australia.
