International Journal of Clinical Case Reports 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 48-54 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 48 Scientific Review Open Access A Comparative Study: Revealing the Prevalence of Dementia Among the Homeless Population JieZhang Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, China Corresponding email: jessizhang0701@gmail.com International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 2024, Vol.14, No.2 doi: 10.5376/ijccr.2024.14.0006 Received: 09 Apr., 2024 Accepted: 14 Apr., 2024 Published: 20 Apr., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Zhang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Zhang J., 2024, A comparative study: revealing the prevalence of dementia among the homeless population, International Journal of Molecular Medical Science, 14(2): 48-54 (doi: 10.5376/ijccr.2024.14.0006) The article "Prevalence of dementia among people experiencing homelessness in Ontario, Canada: a population-based comparative analysis" was published in The LANCET Public Health journal in April 2024. The authors, Richard G Booth, Monidipa Dasgupta, Cheryl Forchuk, et al., are affiliated with institutions such as the Health Information Research Center at Western Ontario University, Lawson Health Research Institute, and the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing. This study investigates the prevalence of dementia among the homeless population in Ontario, Canada, and conducts a comprehensive population-based cross-sectional comparative analysis compared with the general population and residents of low-income communities. It reveals a significant higher prevalence of dementia among the homeless population. Utilizing health-care administrative data, the study delves into the impact of housing stability on the incidence of dementia. The primary findings indicate a higher incidence of dementia among the homeless, particularly within the 55-74 age group, even after adjusting for demographic and health-related factors. 1 Experimental Data Analysis The study analyzed data from 12,863 individuals experiencing homelessness and compared it with 475,544 individuals from the low-income group and 2,273,068 from the general population. Using the Poisson model to estimate prevalence, it was found that the prevalence of dementia among the homeless was 68.77 per 1,000 individuals, while the prevalence rates for the low-income and general populations were 62.76 and 51.70 per 1,000, respectively. It was observed that across both sexes in the age groups 55-64 and 65-74, the prevalence ratios were significantly higher when compared to the two control groups, ranging between 2.798 and 5.700. Table 1 reveals that in 2019, the prevalence of dementia among the homeless population in Ontario, Canada, was 68.87 per 1000 people, significantly higher than in the low-income and general populations. The average age of the homeless group was lower, with a higher proportion of males, and fewer resided in rural areas. They had a higher frequency of using emergency and hospitalization services, and the incidence of head trauma and mental health conditions was also elevated. These findings underscore the healthcare needs of the homeless population and call for urgent targeted health strategies. Table 2 shows age-adjusted dementia prevalence ratios, with the homeless population exhibiting higher rates of dementia across different age and gender strata compared to low-income and general populations. Particularly noteworthy is the elevated prevalence in younger age groups; homeless females aged 55-64 and males aged 45-54 have dementia prevalence rates approSximately 3 to 5 times higher than those in low-income and general populations. These ratios suggest that the increase in risk diminishes with age, highlighting an urgent need for early intervention and support for the middle-aged homeless population.
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