BRFSS 2024 - North Carolina: (During the past 12 months, have you experienced difficulties with thinking or memory that are happening more often or are getting worse?*)

2024 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Cognitive Decline

During the past 12 months, have you experienced difficulties with thinking or memory that are happening more often or are getting worse?*

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	Total Respond.^	Yes	No
North Carolina	2,259	288	12.4	10.9-14.2	1,971	87.6	85.8-89.1
-MALES	936	124	12.8	10.5-15.5	812	87.2	84.5-89.5
RACE
Non-Hispanic White	686	98	13.3	10.7-16.5	588	86.7	83.5-89.3
Non-Hispanic Black	134	19	13.4	8.3-21.0	115	86.6	79.0-91.7
Other	107	***	***	***	101	90.7	78.5-96.3
AGE
45-54	227	20	7.5	4.6-11.9	207	92.5	88.1-95.4
55-64	258	39	15.5	10.9-21.5	219	84.5	78.5-89.1
65-74	236	33	15.1	10.5-21.3	203	84.9	78.7-89.5
75+	195	32	14.6	9.5-21.9	163	85.4	78.1-90.5
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S.	97	***	***	***	92	92.9	81.8-97.4
H.S. or G.E.D.	195	28	15.4	10.5-22.0	167	84.6	78.0-89.5
Some Post-H.S.	245	34	12.6	8.7-17.9	211	87.4	82.1-91.3
College Graduate	398	57	13.3	10.0-17.6	341	86.7	82.4-90.0
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000	31	***	***	***	***	***	***
$15,000- 24,999	55	***	***	***	48	88.9	76.4-95.2
$25,000- 34,999	52	***	***	***	***	***	***
$35,000- 49,999	130	16	7.5	4.1-13.2	114	92.5	86.8-95.9
$50,000- 74,999	100	18	19.3	11.7-30.4	82	80.7	69.6-88.3
$75,000+	358	42	11.2	8.1-15.4	316	88.8	84.6-91.9
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes	361	90	23.0	18.2-28.5	271	77.0	71.5-81.8
No	569	32	6.4	4.4- 9.3	537	93.6	90.7-95.6
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran	245	45	17.2	12.4-23.4	200	82.8	76.6-87.6
Non-Veteran	690	79	11.3	8.8-14.5	611	88.7	85.5-91.2
RURAL-URBAN RESIDENT¹
Urban	282	42	14.3	10.3-19.6	240	85.7	80.4-89.7
Regional City or Suburban County	273	32	11.8	8.0-17.0	241	88.2	83.0-92.0
Rural	381	50	12.3	8.8-16.9	331	87.7	83.1-91.2
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed	439	35	7.6	5.3-10.8	404	92.4	89.2-94.7
Unemployed	33	***	***	***	***	***	***
Retired	377	62	15.9	12.0-20.8	315	84.1	79.2-88.0
Unable to Work	74	***	***	***	***	***	***
Other not in Labor Force	4	***	***	***	***	***	***
POVERTY LEVEL²
Less than 50%	14	***	***	***	***	***	***
50% to 100%	51	***	***	***	***	***	***
101% to 150%	75	***	***	***	***	***	***
151% to 200%	34	***	***	***	***	***	***
More than 200%	544	73	12.6	9.8-16.2	471	87.4	83.8-90.2
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER³
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1)	193	30	15.8	10.7-22.6	163	84.2	77.4-89.3
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2)	326	45	10.9	7.8-15.0	281	89.1	85.0-92.2
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3)	417	49	12.9	9.3-17.5	368	87.1	82.5-90.7
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX⁴
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable	341	45	14.8	10.4-20.5	296	85.2	79.5-89.6
2nd Quartile	285	31	10.1	6.9-14.6	254	89.9	85.4-93.1
3rd Quartile	225	37	13.6	9.6-19.1	188	86.4	80.9-90.4
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable	85	11	12.9	6.6-23.9	74	87.1	76.1-93.4

Total
Respond.^

Yes

C.I.(95%)

North Carolina

2,259

288

12.4

10.9-14.2

1,971

87.6

85.8-89.1

-MALES

936

124

12.8

10.5-15.5

812

87.2

84.5-89.5

RACE

Non-Hispanic White

686

13.3

10.7-16.5

588

86.7

83.5-89.3

Non-Hispanic Black

134

13.4

8.3-21.0

115

86.6

79.0-91.7

Other

107

***

101

90.7

78.5-96.3

AGE

45-54

227

7.5

4.6-11.9

207

92.5

88.1-95.4

55-64

258

15.5

10.9-21.5

219

84.5

78.5-89.1

65-74

236

15.1

10.5-21.3

203

84.9

78.7-89.5

75+

195

14.6

9.5-21.9

163

85.4

78.1-90.5

EDUCATION

Less Than H.S.

***

92.9

81.8-97.4

H.S. or G.E.D.

195

15.4

10.5-22.0

167

84.6

78.0-89.5

Some Post-H.S.

245

12.6

8.7-17.9

211

87.4

82.1-91.3

College Graduate

398

13.3

10.0-17.6

341

86.7

82.4-90.0

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Less than $15,000

***

$15,000- 24,999

***

88.9

76.4-95.2

$25,000- 34,999

***

$35,000- 49,999

130

7.5

4.1-13.2

114

92.5

86.8-95.9

$50,000- 74,999

100

19.3

11.7-30.4

80.7

69.6-88.3

$75,000+

358

11.2

8.1-15.4

316

88.8

84.6-91.9

FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY

Yes

361

23.0

18.2-28.5

271

77.0

71.5-81.8

569

6.4

4.4- 9.3

537

93.6

90.7-95.6

VETERAN STATUS

Veteran

245

17.2

12.4-23.4

200

82.8

76.6-87.6

Non-Veteran

690

11.3

8.8-14.5

611

88.7

85.5-91.2

RURAL-URBAN RESIDENT¹

Urban

282

14.3

10.3-19.6

240

85.7

80.4-89.7

Regional City or Suburban County

273

11.8

8.0-17.0

241

88.2

83.0-92.0

Rural

381

12.3

8.8-16.9

331

87.7

83.1-91.2

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Employed or Self-Employed

439

7.6

5.3-10.8

404

92.4

89.2-94.7

Unemployed

***

Retired

377

15.9

12.0-20.8

315

84.1

79.2-88.0

Unable to Work

***

Other not in Labor Force

***

POVERTY LEVEL²

Less than 50%

***

50% to 100%

***

101% to 150%

***

151% to 200%

***

More than 200%

544

12.6

9.8-16.2

471

87.4

83.8-90.2

NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER³

Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1)

193

15.8

10.7-22.6

163

84.2

77.4-89.3

Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2)

326

10.9

7.8-15.0

281

89.1

85.0-92.2

Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3)

417

12.9

9.3-17.5

368

87.1

82.5-90.7

CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX⁴

1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable

341

14.8

10.4-20.5

296

85.2

79.5-89.6

2nd Quartile

285

10.1

6.9-14.6

254

89.9

85.4-93.1

3rd Quartile

225

13.6

9.6-19.1

188

86.4

80.9-90.4

4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable

12.9

6.6-23.9

87.1

76.1-93.4

Back to Cognitive Decline.

*Asked only of Respondents aged 45 or older.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to changes in the weighting methodology and other factors, results from 2024
are NOT comparable to 2010 and earlier years.

***The estimate was suppressed because it did not meet statistical reliability standards. See BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for more details.

¹Based on U.S Census Bureau population estimates at the county level. Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

²Based on 2024 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

³NC Dept. of Commerce County Tier Classification, based on respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

⁴Quartile of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index
(https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html) for respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

^Use caution in interpreting cell sizes less than 50, % = Percentage, C.I.(95%) = Confidence Interval (at 95 percent probability level).
Percentages are weighted to population characteristics and therefore cannot be calculated exactly from the numbers in this table.

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2024 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Cognitive Decline

During the past 12 months, have you experienced difficulties with thinking or memory that are happening more often or are getting worse?*