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Original Paper
Neuroepidemiology 2011;36:245–251
DOI: 10.1159/000328255
Prevalence of Dementia among Elderly
People Living in Cotonou, an Urban Area
of Benin (West Africa)
Moussiliou N. Paraïso
a, e
Maëlenn Guerchet
a
Jacques Saizonou
e
Pascale Cowppli-Bony
d
Alain M. Mouanga
g
Philippe Nubukpo
a, b
Pierre-Marie Preux
a, c
Dismand S. Houinato
f
a
Université de Limoges, IFR 145 GEIST, Institut d’Epidémiologie Neurologique et de Neurologie Tropicale, EA 3174
NeuroEpidémiologie Tropicale et Comparée,
b
CHU Limoges, CH Esquirol, Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de
Recherche, and
c
CHU Limoges, Service de l’Information Médicale et de l’Evaluation, Unité Fonctionnelle de
Recherche Clinique et Biostatistique, Limoges, and
d
Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux II, INSERM U897, Bordeaux,
France;
e
Institut Régional de Santé Publique – Ouidah, and
f
Université d’Abomey Calavi, Faculté des Sciences de
la Santé, Unité d’Enseignement et de Recherche de Neurologie, Cotonou, Bénin;
g
Service de Psychiatrie, CHU de
Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo
Introduction
Like those living in high-income countries, people in
low-income countries have to face the consequences of
normal aging (age-related cerebral, sensory and motor
changes). They also face disorders that increase in preva-
lence with age, such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia
[1]. More than 35 million people worldwide suffered from
dementia in 2010. According to the World Alzheimer Re-
port 2009, the prevalence of dementia will almost double
every 20 years, and 65.7 million people are expected to be
affected by 2030, reaching 115.4 million in 2050. This in-
crease in prevalence will primarily affect low- and mid-
dle-income countries [2, 3].
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a public health problem in
many ways: it is a common severe and fatal disorder with
considerable economic implications and dramatic conse-
quences for elderly people and their relatives. Even so, AD
is not yet considered a public health priority by health
care authorities in low-income countries, and without
Key Words
Benin Dementia Epidemiology
Abstract
Background/Aims: The population of Benin is, like those of
most developing countries, aging; dementia is therefore a
major concern. Our goal was to estimate the prevalence of
dementia in an elderly population living in urban Benin.
Methods: In a cross-sectional community-based study, peo-
ple aged 65 years and above were screened using the Com-
munity Screening Interview for Dementia and the Five-Word
Test. Results: The prevalence of dementia was 3.7% (95% CI
2.6–4.8) overall. The figure increased with age and was high-
er among women than men. Conclusion: Dementia was
slightly more prevalent than previously reported in a rural
area of Benin, but the rate was similar to that recorded in
other cities in developing countries.
Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel
Received: May 17, 2010
Accepted: March 31, 2011
Published online: June 16, 2011
Prof. Pierre-Marie Preux
Université de Limoges, IFR 145 GEIST, Institut de Neurologie Tropicale
EA 3174 NeuroEpidémiologie Tropicale et Comparée, 2 rue du Dr. Marcland
FR–87025 Limoges (France)
Tel. +33 5 55 43 58 20, E-Mail preux @ unilim.fr
© 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel
0251–5350/11/0364–0245$38.00/0
Accessible online at:
www.karger.com/ned