Xiang Qi, PhD, RN

Xiang Qi, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing and the second cohort of RCASIA Pilot Awardees. His interdisciplinary research sits at the intersection of gerontology, social epidemiology, and Asian health equity. Dr. Qi utilizes advanced data science methodologies—including machine learning and causal inference—to elucidate the neurobiological and social determinants of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. 

A dedicated advocate for health equity, Dr. Qi leads the RCASIA pilot, leveraging the All of Us Research Program to investigate dementia disparities across diverse Asian American subgroups. His work also explores how neighborhood environments and acculturation influence cognitive aging in immigrant populations. Dr. Qi is a recipient of the Outstanding PhD Dissertation Award from NYU and the Douglas Holmes Emerging Scholar Award from the Gerontological Society of America. He holds a PhD from NYU and a BS with honors from Fudan University. 

Project Title: Investigating the Heterogeneity in Dementia Prevalence and Associated Social Determinants of Health across Asian American Subgroups in the All of Us Research Program 

Full Community Brief

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Dementia in Asian American Communities: Uncovering the Role of Social Factors

Xiang Qi, PhD, RN

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

This research looks to see how common dementia is in different Asian American subgroups and to identify which social conditions are related to influence memory loss and progression to (risk of) dementia in these communities. This study used data from the nationwide All of Us Research Program.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

There is limited research on dementia prevalence within specific Asian American ethnic groups and on how social factors influence dementia risk. Many older Asian Americans face higher rates of barriers such as limited English proficiency, reduced healthcare access, and social isolation, yet a lack of detailed data makes it difficult to identify unique risk factors and address health disparities in these communities.

KEY FINDINGS

Treating Asian Americans as a single group masks important differences in dementia rates, which vary widely across ethnic subgroups—for example, higher among Filipino and Pakistani Americans and lower among Chinese and Japanese Americans. Across all groups, perceived stress is a strong predictor of mild cognitive impairment and progression to dementia. However, risk factors differ by community; for Asian Americans and other underrepresented groups, everyday discrimination is a key driver of faster cognitive decline.

KEY TAKEAWAYS                                                                                    

• Culturally tailored interventions can address key social factors in specific communities, such as reducing everyday discrimination and improving social inclusion for older Asian Americans through linguistically appropriate services and welcoming community spaces.
• Chronic stress reduction programs may help prevent cognitive decline across all ethnic groups. “One-size-fits-all” approaches are insufficient; collecting better data on diverse populations and designing culturally sensitive interventions can uncover hidden risk patterns and support health equity.
• Using subgroup analyses and advanced methods like machine learning can help identify key predictors of dementia that traditional methods might miss, enabling more precise, targeted strategies.

LINKS

All of Us Research Program (https://allofus.nih.gov) – National Institutes of Health