The Impact of Wealth Gradients on Dementia Health Expectancies: Unveiling Disparities across Caste and Religion in India

Poulami Barman, University of Rostock Institute for Sociology and demography
Nandita Saikia, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Gabriele Doblhammer, University of Rostock Institute for Sociology and demography

India is witnessing rapid aging due to demographic shifts. With the proportion of aged population projected to reach 347 million by 2050, this will result in significant burden of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia. Prior research shows that socio-economic disparities contribute to differences in LE, which likely also affect Dementia Health Expectancy (DHE) in India. The financial and cultural obstacles faced by different social groups may exacerbate the marginalisation and wealth disparities. Furthermore, these wealth disparities limit healthcare access and utilization, influencing early detection and management of dementia. So, our study investigates the contribution of wealth gradients on the disparity of DHE between the different caste and religious groups. We utilize harmonized Longitudinal Aging Study of India – Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI-DAD) and National Family Health Survey (NFHS 5) data for analysis. The impetus for this research stems from our investigation into the disparities in DHE associated with caste and religious groups. Thus far, we have estimated the dementia-free health expectancy and life expectancy with dementia among social groups and the next step is to identify the contribution of wealth to these DHE. By addressing this contribution, we aim to identify discrepancies in DHE among caste and religious groups.

Keywords: Decomposition analysis, Health and Morbidity, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Population Ageing

See extended abstract.