07.01.04. Are there differences in diagnostic assessment according to geographical areas (rural/urban) and also according to other socio-economic factors? | Hong Kong SAR

07.01.04. Are there differences in diagnostic assessment according to geographical areas (rural/urban) and also according to other socio-economic factors? | Hong Kong SAR

22 Aug 2022

Rural-urban division is not applicable in Hong Kong as, according to the World Bank, the urban population accounts for 100% of its total population since 1993.

Local evidence on the impact of socio-economic factors on receiving diagnostic assessment is relatively limited. A study (Tang et al., 2016) comparing the characteristics of early help seekers (i.e., seek help within a year since noticing the first symptom) and late help seekers, finds that the early help seekers are more likely to live in private housing. It also suggests that people with better socio-economic status may facilitate earlier help seeking.

References:

Tang, J. Y. M., Wong, G. H. Y., Ng, C. K. M., Kwok, D. T. S., Lee, M. N. Y., Dai, D. L. K., & Lum, T. Y. S. (2016). Neuropsychological profile and dementia symptom recognition in help-seekers in a community early-detection program in Hong Kong. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 64(3), 584-589. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13938