The association between adverse experiences throughout the life-course and risk of dementia in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

INTRODUCTION

Studies investigating the association between adverse experiences across the life-course and dementia consider a narrow range of experiences and use sum scores, assuming each experience has the same impact on dementia risk. We considered the timing, type and cumulation of adverse experiences.

METHODS

The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing measured adverse experiences in a retrospective interview. Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate associations between dementia and sum adversity scores, individual experiences, and broad categories adapted from existing frameworks.

RESULTS

Number of adult, but not total or childhood, adverse experiences was associated with dementia. Child abuse and adult economic hardship were associated with a 74% and 32% higher hazard of dementia respectively.

DISCUSSION

Adulthood adverse experiences associate with dementia in a cumulative risk manner. In childhood, only abuse was associated with dementia. Use of sum scores to summarise adverse experiences throughout the life-course may oversimplify associations with dementia.