This study researches Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' experience with dementia, and how it compares to that of non‐Indigenous Australians
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience greater dementia prevalence at a younger age than non‐Indigenous Australians, yet little is known about urban–rural influences on pathological brain ageing.
Using a national dataset, we show that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in regional and remote Australia are equally or more likely to have a dementia diagnosis compared with their urban counterparts.
They also have a distinctly different pattern of dementia epidemiology than that observed for non‐Indigenous Australians.
The implications: Place should inform dementia awareness strategies and health care policy to direct targeted dementia prevention and care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.