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Including ethnic and cultural diversity in dementia research

Lee‐Fay Low, Annica L Barcenilla‐Wong and Bianca Brijnath
Med J Aust 2019; 211 (8): . || doi: 10.5694/mja2.50353
Published online: 21 October 2019

Australian dementia research needs increased representation of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Evidence‐based practice and policy must be based on the best available evidence, which should be representative of the population.1 However, the current body of dementia research does not reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Australian population. Hence, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may receive inequitable dementia care as there is less evidence to help optimise clinical and service decisions.


  • 1 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
  • 2 National Ageing Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC
  • 3 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC



Acknowledgements: 

The data presented in this article were funded by the NNIDR as part of the development of the CALD Dementia Research Roadmap. Lee‐Fay Low is funded through an NHMRC Boosting Dementia Research Leadership Development Fellowship. The NNIDR were involved in conceptualising the article, but not in analysis or interpretation.

Competing interests:

Bianca Brijnath has financial relationships with government and private foundations for research and policy development specific to CALD communities and dementia.

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