How adult children's education and economic situation affect parents' Alzheimer’s risk and outcomes

The contribution of adult child socio-economic status to parents' risk and outcomes of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) in cross-national settings

NIH-funded research University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11261186

This project looks at whether adult children's education and financial resources affect older parents' chances of getting Alzheimer’s and how well parents do if they have dementia.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Francisco NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Francisco, United States)
Project IDNIH-11261186 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you are an older parent, this research looks at whether your grown children's schooling, jobs, and income change your risk of Alzheimer’s disease or alter how dementia progresses. The team will combine and compare large population datasets from multiple countries to see patterns across different social and health systems. They will examine both economic supports (like financial transfers) and non-economic pathways (like health knowledge or care assistance) that could explain any links. The goal is to find which groups of older adults might benefit most from improvements in their children's social and economic resources.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults (and information about their adult children) included in national or international aging and health studies, especially in settings with varied educational and economic backgrounds.

Not a fit: People without adult children or those seeking immediate medical treatment or experimental drugs are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to family- and policy-level approaches—such as improving education or support for adult children—that help lower parents' dementia risk and improve outcomes for those with ADRDs.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown adult children's education and SES can affect parents' overall health and mortality, but using these links specifically for Alzheimer’s risk and dementia outcomes is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

San Francisco, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.