Imagining Dementia Futures: Newspaper representations of air pollution, social isolation and dementia

In January 2025, we (Emma Putland, Senior Research Associate on the Public Discourses of Dementia project and Felicity Slocombe from the University of Bradford’s Centre for Applied Dementia Studies) attended the Imagining Dementia Futures conference at the University of Manchester.

The 3-day event featured talks and workshops across a range of topics: performance arts, music therapy, narratives and identity, personal accounts of dementia, archaeology, LGBTQ+ identity and dementia, and risk factors. Emma and I’s own talk came under the latter topic, and was entitled: ‘Representations of air pollution, social isolation and dementia in the UK news’. The event was attended by people with dementia, academics, researchers, and creative practitioners who all came together to share their experiences, research and approaches in an inclusive and friendly laid-back environment.

This was the first time either of us had presented on this topic and doing so in front of a diverse and engaged audience was extremely valuable. In this blog, we will give an overview of our talk. You can also view the presentation slides, if you’d like to find out more.

Background

We started our interest in newspaper representation of air pollution and social isolation as risk factors for dementia due to findings from the Lancet Commission Report, which identifies 14 potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. Air pollution and social isolation are two of those 14 risk factors, and they are also complex societal factors that can be difficult for individuals to change.

Air pollution comes from a large variety of sources, and is recognised as the largest environmental cause of disease and premature death globally. It has been linked to conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inflammation – all of which can increase dementia risk. Similarly, social isolation (having infrequent social contact) has been associated with higher dementia risk, with interesting cultural variations in prevalence across different countries.

Method and analysis

We used a large collection of over 11,000 UK newspaper articles about dementia published between 2013 and 2022 as the basis for our analysis. This collection features over 9 million words from eight UK national newspapers!

To search the collection for mentions of social isolation and air pollution we used keywords and phrases such as ‘social isolat*’ and “air pollt*”. The asterisk (*) allows for different stems of the same word to be searched – such as ‘isolating’ and ‘isolated’. Doing this, we identified 2144 matches! For this initial small project, we analysed a random sample of 100 mentions each for air pollution and social isolation, looking at how both risk factors are being discussed by UK newspaper media. We had a particular interest in how risks and recommendations for combatting them are presented as individual and/or societal issues.

Key Findings: Social Isolation

Social isolation was portrayed as both a risk factor for dementia and a consequence of having dementia. The media discussed isolation in relation to:

• Other risk factors like hearing loss, sight loss, and depression
• The isolating effect of receiving a dementia diagnosis
• Social treatment issues, including negative care home experiences and feeling isolated and overwhelmed by the care system

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly amplified concerns about social isolation, with articles highlighting the devastating impact of prolonged isolation on both people with dementia and their caregivers. Over time, newspapers increasingly questioned whether the risks from isolation outweighed the risks of the virus.

The media made some recommendations for addressing social isolation, including:

• Individual actions: Maintaining social connections, and using visual and hearing aids.
• Societal responses: Community initiatives, charity interventions like Dementia Friends, and specialised groups (choirs, reading groups, etc.). There were also calls for government investment in community groups and to reverse decisions to cut free TV licenses to over 75s, as television can be a source for staying connected to the community.

Key Findings: Air Pollution

Air pollution was presented as an interlinked risk factor, connected to cardiovascular disease, and in turn, dementia. The media painted a concerning picture of the UK as "notoriously bad” at controlling air pollution, with 37 cities persistently displaying illegal pollution levels.

Recommended responses included:

• Individual measures: Reducing personal contributions to pollution and protecting oneself from exposure (both inside and outside the home).
• Societal actions: Stricter regulations, tackling fossil fuel sources, investing in less polluting infrastructure.
• Media campaigns: Interestingly, The Times even has the ‘Clean air for all’ campaign to call the government to action to improve air quality. This is not specifically because of the risks for dementia, but it is positive to see the media using its platform to lobby change.

Looking to the future

Through this initial research we can see the intersecting nature of dementia risk factors alongside broader societal challenges. To bring the research back to a focus on the future, we conclude that dementia futures are intertwined with more environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive futures. This reminds all of us that addressing dementia risk requires coordinated responses at individual, community, and governmental levels.

Through this initial project we have also begun to highlight the role the media can play in shaping public understanding of dementia risk factors. By analysing how newspapers frame these issues, we gain insight into the narratives that potentially influence public perception and policy responses.

We hope to take this work forward and go beyond the examples discussed here to more comprehensively chart media coverage of these important issues over time. We also welcome input, so please do get in touch!