The Relationship between County-level Jail Incarceration Rates and County-Level Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Prevalence

A growing literature has examined the community health consequences— including mortality, illness, and negative mental health effects— associated with high concentrations of incarceration. However, little is known about the relationship between area-level incarceration and aging-related health. This study examines the relationship between county-level jail incarceration rates and county-level Alzheimer’s Disease (ADRD) prevalence in South Carolina and assesses the geographic dependence of the two phenomena separately. Findings are generated using descriptive statistical analysis, regression modeling, and geographic methodological techniques, including global and local tests of spatial autocorrelation. The results suggest that counties' urban-rural status is statistically significant in explaining ADRD rates across counties; however, the regression analysis does not find evidence of a significant relationship between jail incarceration rates and ADRD rates after controlling for local sociodemographic factors. The findings also suggest that urban and rural counties differ in the impact of jail incarceration on ADRD rates. The results indicate positive spatial autocorrelation in ADRD prevalence, suggesting spatial clustering in ADRD rates. However, the results show that spatial clustering is absent in county-level jail incarceration rates. Further analysis is necessary to determine whether the relationship between jail incarceration and ADRD prevalence is significant, and how that relationship manifests spatially and in county contexts.