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Mississippi Value:
Percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported having physical, mental or emotional problems or difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
Mississippi Rank:
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Percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported having physical, mental or emotional problems or difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
Percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported having physical, mental or emotional problems or difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
Percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported having physical, mental or emotional problems or difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
Percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported having physical, mental or emotional problems or difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
US Value: 7.8%
Top State(s): Wisconsin: 5.3%
Bottom State(s): Mississippi: 10.7%
Definition: Percentage of adults ages 65 and older who reported having physical, mental or emotional problems or difficulty remembering, concentrating or making decisions
Data Source and Years: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
Family, friends and other unpaid caregivers often bear the responsibility of providing daily assistance and emotional support to older adults with severe cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. As the 65 and older population increases, the number of older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to reach 12.7 million by 2050.
Cognitive impairment can be caused by conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury and stroke, as well as treatable health issues like medication side effects, vitamin B12 deficiency and depression. While people of all ages can experience cognitive impairment, age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Modifiable risk factors include smoking, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol and binge drinking, as well as physical, social and mental inactivity. Hearing loss is also associated with an increased risk of dementia, but using hearing aids can help protect against severe cognitive impairment.
Cognitive difficulty places a large burden on health care systems:
The cost of caring for adults with severe cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s and other dementias, was estimated at $321 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2050.
The prevalence and risk of severe cognitive impairment are higher among:
Changes in the brain often occur before symptoms of cognitive difficulty appear, suggesting that it may be possible to delay the onset of symptoms. A 2021 review of the evidence suggested that preventive interventions could improve cognitive functioning among older adults, including:
Racial disparities in cognitive decline may be addressed by interventions to improve educational and occupational opportunities early in life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Brain Initiative has produced a guide to preventing and addressing cognitive impairment for state and local public health agencies. A free educational communications toolkit on brain health and aging is available through the National Institute on Aging.
Healthy People 2030 has several objectives related to cognitive difficulty, including:
Alzheimer’s Association. “2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.” Alzheimer’s & Dementia 18, no. 4 (April 2022): 700–789. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12638.
Alzheimer’s Association, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Healthy Brain Initiative, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map.” Chicago, IL: Alzheimer’s Association, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/pdf/2018-2023-Road-Map-508.pdf.
Downey, Autumn, Clare Stroud, Story Landis, and Alan I. Leshner, eds. Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press (US), 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK453387/.
Laws, Keith R., Karen Irvine, and Tim M. Gale. “Sex Differences in Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer’s Disease.” World Journal of Psychiatry 6, no. 1 (March 22, 2016): 54–65. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v6.i1.54.
Omura, John D., Lisa C. McGuire, Roshni Patel, Matthew Baumgart, Raza Lamb, Eva M. Jeffers, Benjamin S. Olivari, Janet B. Croft, Craig W. Thomas, and Karen Hacker. “Modifiable Risk Factors for Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias Among Adults Aged ≥45 Years — United States, 2019.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 71, no. 20 (May 20, 2022): 680–85. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7120a2.
Stern, Yaakov. “Cognitive Reserve in Ageing and Alzheimer’s Disease.” The Lancet Neurology 11, no. 11 (November 1, 2012): 1006–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(12)70191-6.
Tejada-Vera, Betzaida. “Mortality from Alzheimer’s Disease in the United States: Data for 2000 and 2010.” NCHS Data Brief No. 116. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, March 2013. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db116.htm.
Weuve, Jennifer, Lisa L. Barnes, Carlos F. Mendes de Leon, Kumar B. Rajan, Todd Beck, Neelum T. Aggarwal, Liesi E. Hebert, David A. Bennett, Robert S. Wilson, and Denis A. Evans. “Cognitive Aging in Black and White Americans: Cognition, Cognitive Decline, and Incidence of Alzheimer Disease Dementia.” Epidemiology 29, no. 1 (January 2018): 151–59. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000747.
Yeo, Brian Sheng Yep, Harris Jun Jie Muhammad Danial Song, Emma Min Shuen Toh, Li Shia Ng, Cyrus Su Hui Ho, Roger Ho, Reshma Aziz Merchant, Benjamin Kye Jyn Tan, and Woei Shyang Loh. “Association of Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants With Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” JAMA Neurology, December 5, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.4427.
Zhang, X.-X., Y. Tian, Z.-T. Wang, Y.-H. Ma, L. Tan, and J.-T. Yu. “The Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s Disease Modifiable Risk Factors and Prevention.” The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2021, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2021.15.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.