Dementia risk reduction potential among faith communities: Insights into modifiable risk factors in the English population

Background: Dementia prevention is a global public health priority. However, limited research has examined modifiable dementia risk factors (MRFs) within faith communities, despite their significant presence in the population of England. Faith communities often exhibit distinct social structures and lifestyle behaviours, such as strong social cohesion and shared health norms, that may shape both the exposure to and impact of MRFs. This study aimed to explore the distribution and relative contribution of MRFs among faith and nonfaith communities in England to inform contextually tailored prevention strategies. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from Wave 5 (2010–2011) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Population attributable fractions (PAFs) for dementia were calculated for 14 MRFs using relative risks derived from the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention and prevalence estimates for the English population. Weighted PAFs were computed for the general ELSA population (n= 8812), faith (n= 7364) and nonfaith communities (n= 1448), with analyses adjusted for overlapping risk factors. Results: The overall weighted PAF was 35.3% in the general ELSA sample, 34.3% in the faith community, and 46.1% in the nonfaith community. Within faith communities, the highest PAF contributors were depression (9.2%), social isolation (4.5%), hearing loss (4.1%), and visual impairment (3.1%). For nonfaith communities, these were depression (11.4%), social isolation (7.5%), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (5.4%) and low education (4.6%). Interpretation: Faith communities in England exhibited differences in the relative contribution of modifiable dementia risk factors compared with nonfaith communities. These findings may help inform the development of contextually tailored prevention strategies, although further longitudinal and interventional studies are required to confirm these patterns and assess causality. A deeper understanding within specific faith groups could refine these interventions. Importantly, the findings also highlight how culturally informed, community-centred approaches can enhance dementia prevention in secular populations with similar social structures—such as exercise groups or meditation circles—informing inclusive public health strategies across diverse community settings.