Prevalence of dementia in people with a migration background in Germany

Abstract

Background: In Germany the number of people with a migration background was 16.5 million people in 2013 with 9% being older than 65 years. In this population utilization of health services is low, especially in older people, although they often display worse health outcomes. Little is known about the number of people with dementia and migration background in Germany and their distribution on the state level, resulting in a challenge that is barely assessable for the healthcare system. Objective: The depiction of the prevalence of dementia in people with a migration background for Germany and the individual federal states. Method: The number of people with a migration background and dementia living in Germany and the individual federal states was estimated for different ethnic groups using country and state-specific data on the population, dementia frequency and age-specific prevalence. Results: Out of 1.86 million people with a migration background who are 65 years or older, approximately 96,500 persons (5.2%) have dementia. The majority are of European (84,490), more specifically Polish (13,960), Italian (8920) and Turkish (8840) heritage. North Rhine-Westphalia (26,000), Baden-Wuerttemberg (18,080) and Bavaria (16,710) are presumed to show the highest rates of people affected. Conclusion: In Germany people with a migration background and dementia represent a large target group for health care; however, the numbers and ethnic populations affected differ considerably between states. These analyses can be used for state-specific healthcare planning of culture-specific and culture-sensitive services and care so that specific healthcare improvements can be achieved.