Social Determinants of Health in Ageing and Dementia聽
Exploring how social and structural factors shape brain health, with a focus on equity in cognitive ageing and dementia prevention.
The Social Determinants Research Group investigates how the structural and social conditions of life - where people are born, live, work, and age - influence cognitive ageing and dementia risk. Our work is grounded in a commitment to brain health equity, with the goal of generating evidence that informs population-level strategies for brain health promotion and dementia prevention, shaped by the lived experiences and values of diverse communities.聽
Our methodology
Positioned at the intersection of research, policy and practice, we strive to improve brain health outcomes in Australia and contribute to global solutions through international collaborations.
Social determinants of health encompass a broad range of factors, including access to education and healthcare, housing stability, social support, economic security, and environmental conditions. Current evidence suggests that up to 45% of dementia risk is linked to modifiable factors - many of which are socially and structurally determined. These include both factors that are influenced by context, such as social isolation and excessive alcohol use, and direct exposures, such as limited educational attainment in early life or air pollution.聽
Our group is particularly focused on emerging and underexplored determinants of dementia risk, including:聽
- climate vulnerability
- social mobility
- food environments
- discrimination
- digital exclusion
- access to nature聽
- culturally safe health care聽
- gendered life course roles.
At the core of our mission is a shift in perspective: from viewing brain health as an individual responsibility to recognising it as a collective right. We advocate for framing brain health as a public good - shaped by policy, community investment and structural change.
