Figure: Graphic abstract for current study
Credit： R.Sakaniwa et al.


Researchers from our Global Knowledge Partner, University College London, and Osaka University, together with other collaborators in Japan, the UK, and the United States, uncovered that socioeconomic status transition considerably extends years lived without dementia, offering new insights into preventive strategies.

Upward social mobility may ward off dementia, according to a new study. Dementia, a collective term for conditions marked by memory loss and diminished cognitive functioning, strains healthcare systems and devastates the quality of life for patients and their families. Research thus far has found correlations between socioeconomic status (SES) – Parent’s assets, education level, income, and work status – and susceptibility to dementia, and SES changes throughout a person’s life, known as social mobility, seem to influence this risk; however, scientific evidence is lacking.

The new study published in JAMA Network Open, provides data-backed evidence that upward social mobility is associated with a lower dementia risk. Specifically, a downward SES transition was associated with the highest loss of healthy longevity from age 75 onward. However, an upward transition was linked with the longest period of healthy longevity. Interestingly, the results from the upward transition are more favorable than those from individuals with a stable-high SES since childhood.

“Thanks to a large and robust dataset, our findings solidify the association between socioeconomic mobility and dementia risk,” the study’s lead author, Ryoto Sakaniwa, says. “Our finding that upward social mobility throughout a person’s life correlates with a prolonged period of dementia-free aging means that improving socioeconomic conditions could be a key to dementia prevention and healthier longevity.”


The study can be read on the following webpages:
ResOU: https://resou.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/research/2024/20240522_2
DOI: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2818866