Structural and social determinants of dementia risk among adults racialized as Black: Results from a community-based system dynamics approach

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) disproportionately affect Black Americans compared to non-Hispanic White individuals. We examined perceived dementia risk factors among Black adults in St. Louis via a participatory approach. METHODS: In 36 community-based system dynamics workshops (CBSD), 234 participants co-created causal loop diagrams capturing influences on dementia. We analyzed these diagrams using ecological methods to identify a shared core model and examine variation by neighborhood-level deprivation. RESULTS: CBSD revealed a framework for how economic hardship, especially low income and unemployment, reduces access to physical and mental healthcare, driving dementia risk. Those from more deprived areas highlighted the need for improved health education, public transportation, healthcare access, and job opportunities. DISCUSSION: Addressing dementia disparities requires targeting modifiable social and structural drivers. Our findings emphasize the significance of tailored public health interventions that expand access to quality healthcare, reduce socioeconomic barriers, and broadly mitigate racism's pervasive impact on cognitive health. Highlights: Workshop groups from areas with higher neighborhood deprivation (as measured by the Area Deprivation Index [ADI]) were more likely to emphasize stress, poor diet, and limited healthcare access—underscoring the critical influence of socioeconomic disadvantage on both lived experiences and views of dementia risk. Across multiple feedback loops, structural racism emerged as an “external yet ubiquitous” force accelerating other drivers of dementia (e.g., poverty, insufficient community investment, and poorer-quality healthcare), demonstrating the complex pathways by which discrimination exacerbates risk in Black communities. Participants outlined multi-level interventions—ranging from grassroots community programs (e.g., health literacy campaigns, community wellness initiatives) to policy-focused strategies (e.g., political engagement, equitable public resource allocation)—to counteract the self-perpetuating cycle of disadvantage and mitigate dementia risk in under-resourced neighborhoods.