Demographic Determinants of the Cognitive Status among Older Adults: Neyshabur Longitudinal Study on Aging

Cognitive disorders affect the elderly’s personal and social life  by causing disturbances in their nervous system, and it is important to identify who is at the highest risk of these disorders; therefore, the present study aims to investigate demographic determinants of the cognitive status in the elderly visiting the Geriatric Cohort Center in Neyshabur.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 3451 people aged 60 and above (52.5% women and 47.5% men) from 2015 to the end of 2017. The selection of statistical sample was done first by classification method, and then, by random method. Data collection was done using demographic questionnaires, and the questionnaires of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), and data were analyzed using independent t-test, ANOVA, and hierarchical multiple regression in software. were analyzed by SPSS16 software.

With MMSE, one fifth of the participants (20/3%) and with MOCA, almost half of the respondents (49/3%) did not have cognitive disorder. Cognitive disorder became more severe with aging. The severity of cognitive disorder was higher in women (P< 0/05)  those who were living alone(P <0/05), the women who only did housework(P < 0/05), and the cases who were illiterate (P< 0/05).

Screening of cognitive disorders in the elderly and early interventions including holding educational classes, especially for women with low literacy levels whose husbands have died, can prevent the progression of the disorder and improve their quality of life.