Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39777281›Full record

ArticleHealth science reports2025

The Protective Role of Ambient Ultraviolet Radiation Against Dementia: An Ecological Analysis of Global Data.

Wenpeng You

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health science reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Wenpeng YouAdelaide Medical School The University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6229-1064

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Aims: This study investigates the global impact of ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on dementia incidence, addressing its controversial association with dementia risk. UVR, through both vitamin D-dependent and independent mechanisms, influences physiological processes essential for brain health, such as reducing neuroinflammation, improving sleep regulation, and enhancing neuroplasticity. This study aims to clarify the relationship between UVR and dementia incidence and evaluate its role in public health strategies for dementia prevention. Methods: An ecological analysis across 204 countries was conducted using country-specific data on UVR levels and dementia incidence rates. Bivariate analysis, partial correlation, and multiple linear regression models were employed to assess the relationship between UVR and dementia incidence. Confounding factors, including aging, economic affluence, genetic predisposition, and urbanization, were controlled to ensure robust results. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore differences across income classifications, regional groupings, and developmental statuses, based on World Bank and United Nations criteria. Results: A significant inverse correlation between UVR and dementia incidence was identified ( Conclusion: Lower ambient UVR levels are associated with higher dementia incidence rates worldwide, suggesting a critical role for UVR in mitigating dementia risk. Public health strategies should consider environmental factors like UVR, particularly in regions with limited sunlight. Incorporating interventions to optimize UVR exposure could offer a cost-effective approach to reducing the global dementia burden and improving brain health outcomes.

Indexed as

ambient ultraviolet radiationdementia preventionecological analysisneuroinflammationpublic health strategiesvitamin D synthesis

Identifiers

PMID39777281
PMCPMC11705424

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.