Midlife risk factors for cognitive decline across diverse Canadian populations: Evidence from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Project Summary

Dementia risk is shaped by factors that accumulate over time, many of which emerge during midlife. Yet most approaches assume these factors affect everyone equally, even though their impact may differ by sex, gender, race, and ethnicity. This project will use longitudinal data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging to examine associations between midlife biological, lifestyle, and social risk factors and cognitive decline among diverse Canadian adults. Building on prior work that ranked midlife risk factors by their importance for dementia, this study will test whether higher-ranked factors predict cognitive decline over time, whether these associations differ across identity groups, and which risk factors show the greatest variation across groups. Findings will clarify which risk factors matter most, and for whom, to support dementia prevention strategies that are effective and equitable across Canada’s diverse population.