Prevalence and Determinants of Dementia in Aging Population of Balochistan Province of Pakistan

Abstract

Introduction: Dementia is one of the global health conditions which affects over 55 million people worldwide. This causes significant financial and emotional burdens mostly affecting the low middle income countries which lack effective awareness programs and suitable infrastructure and proper care. The diagnosis and management of dementia remain unattainable in South and Southeast Asia including Pakistan because these regions suffer from underdiagnosis coupled with cultural stigmas and the absence of governmental dementia plans. The situation in Pakistan deteriorates due to minimal specialized care support and limited data collection as it has an estimated one million dementia patients. Research on the elderly population of Balochistan remains minimal due to considerable socio-economic challenges and inadequate medical services while environmental elements and psychological factors further heighten their vulnerability. This study aims to assess the prevalence and key determinants of dementia in Balochistan's aging population to inform future interventions and policies. Methodology: This study used a cross-sectional quantitative research design to examine dementia prevalence together with its risk factors among the individuals aged 65 and above in Balochistan, Pakistan. This design was selected to evaluate the current situation as it did not need extended follow-up monitoring. Furthermore, this study undertook an examination of dementia-related factors from socio-demographic, environmental, and health-related conditions to establish base data for subsequent studies and Public Health interventions as the region has limited previous research.

Results: The MMSE scoring revealed 29% senior citizens of Balochistan had cognitive impairment symptoms yet 19% had mild dementia and 9% had moderate dementia alongside 1% with severe dementia while 71% displayed no cognitive impairment. The majority of participants were married individuals with no formal education among them comprising 59% of the total respondents. Additionally, the research involved 59% male respondents. The workforce included average workers who did physical manual tasks and skilled workers together with people who managed their homes. The study found dementia prevalence rates among women exceeded those of men even though women made up fewer study participants which aligns with global dementia patterns. A person's age played a major influence as individuals older than 75 years exhibited more severe cognitive degeneration. Education acted as a barrier against dementia since dementia rates among people with higher educational attainment remained substantially lower. Moreover, hypertension along with diabetes stood as the main medical problems and maximum memory related issues, yet almost 99% of participants were not receiving any treatment for cognitive issues and 64% of the participants never underwent regular check-ups. High environmental exposure existed regarding air and water pollution because 60% used tap water and 67% experienced air pollution. Survey results showed a large percentage of

participants (62%) reported no physical exercise while consumption of tobacco and alcohol was rare and fresh vegetables consumption was moderate. Lastly, social and cognitive engagement were low with only 9% engaging in daily mental exercise while 72% were unaware of dementia as a condition. Despite this, 81% expressed willingness to discuss memory concerns, indicating openness toward intervention and education.

Conclusion: Dementia affects 29% of elderly individuals throughout Balochistan primarily because many people hold limited education and face restricted healthcare availability and exposed environmental hazards. The findings show the urgent need for early screening, health education, and community-based interventions to raise awareness about dementia, especially in underprivileged populations.The burden of dementia can be reduced through better health check-ups combined with hypertension and diabetes risk factor control and cognitive and physical engagement promotion strategies. This study provides crucial information which helps fill the research gap in Pakistani geriatric mental health care of resource deprived regions.