Identifying Frailty and its Outcomes in Older People in Rural Tanzania.

Unlabelled: Background/Study Context: Interest in frailty is growing in low- and middle-income countries, due to demographic aging and resource limitations. However, there is a paucity of data on the nature of frailty in Africa.

Methods: The study collected frailty data from people aged 70 years and over living in six villages in the rural Hai District of northern Tanzania.

Mortality rates in community-dwelling Tanzanians with dementia and mild cognitive impairment: a 4-year follow-up study.

Background: we have previously conducted a community-based prevalence study of dementia in older adults living in the rural Hai district of Tanzania. The aim of this study was to record mortality rates at 4 years post-diagnosis, of those with dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and no cognitive impairment.

Methods: during Phase I of the prevalence study, 1,198 people aged 70 years and over were screened, and a stratified sample of 296 was assessed for the presence of dementia or MCI in Phase II.

Levels of functional disability in elderly people in Tanzania with dementia, stroke and Parkinson's disease.

Background: Disability is associated with increasing age and poverty, yet there are few reliable data regarding disability amongst the elderly in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to compare disability levels for three of the most common neurological, non-communicable diseases: dementia, stroke and Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We performed a community-based study of people aged 70 years and over in 12 randomly selected villages in the rural Hai district of Tanzania.

The association between disability and cognitive impairment in an elderly Tanzanian population.

Cognitive impairment is thought to be a major cause of disability worldwide, though data from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the association between cognitive impairment and disability in a cohort of community-dwelling older adults living in Tanzania. The study cohort of 296 people aged 70years and over was recruited as part of a dementia prevalence study.

Mild Cognitive Impairment in Rural Tanzania: Prevalence, Profile, and Outcomes at 4-Year Follow-up.

Objective: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is recognized as a high-risk condition for conversion to dementia, although data on outcomes of MCI in sub-Saharan Africa are scarce. We investigated outcomes of MCI over a 4-year period in Tanzania and considered risk factors for conversion to dementia.

Methods: In a longitudinal cohort study in the Hai district, Tanzania, patients with MCI were identified during a two-phase prevalence study carried out in 2010.

The prevalence of dementia subtypes in rural Tanzania.

Objectives: The prevalence of dementia is predicted to increase rapidly in developing countries. Vascular risk factors may contribute to this rise. Our aim was to estimate the proportions of Alzheimer's disease (ADD) and vascular dementia (VAD) in a prevalent cohort of dementia cases in rural Tanzania.

The association between educational level and dementia in rural Tanzania.

Unlabelled: The majority of people with dementia worldwide live in developing countries. Studies from the developed world have reported an association between lower educational attainment and dementia, but there are few data from the developing world where literacy and educational levels are frequently much lower. In this study we assessed the association between education and dementia prevalence in a rural Tanzanian setting.

Dementia prevalence estimates in sub-Saharan Africa: comparison of two diagnostic criteria.

Background: We have previously reported the prevalence of dementia in older adults living in the rural Hai district of Tanzania according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria. The aim of this study was to compare prevalence rates using the DSM-IV criteria with those obtained using the 10/66 diagnostic criteria, which is specifically designed for use in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: In phase I, 1,198 people aged 70 and older were screened for dementia.

The prevalence of dementia in rural Tanzania: a cross-sectional community-based study.

Objectives: Despite the growing burden of dementia in low-income countries, there are few previous data on the prevalence of dementia in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dementia in those who are 70 years and older in the rural Hai District of Tanzania.

Methods: This was a two-phase cross-sectional survey.

The prevalence of disability in older people in Hai, Tanzania.

Background: the World Health Organization estimates that more than one billion of the world's population are disabled. Disability is associated with increasing age and poverty, yet there are few reliable data regarding disability among the elderly in low-income countries. The aim of this study was to accurately document the prevalence of disability in those aged 70 years and over in a community-based setting in sub-Saharan Africa.