Cognitive Impairments and Associated Factors in Community-dwelling Elderly in Chengdu, Sichuan

Objective To determine the prevalence and associated factors of cognitive impairments in the community-dwelling elderly aged 60 years or older in Chengdu of Sichuan province. Methods A random cluster sampling strategy was adopted to select 621 community-dwelling elderly. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to assess the cognitive status of the participants. 2 tests and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with cognitive impairments. Results About 40.9% of the participants had cognitive impairments. Those attended primary schools had a lower risk of cognitive impairments 〔odds ratio OR)=0.369， POR=1.505 for 70-79 years, P=0.042; OR=3.069 for ≥80 years, POR=2.159， P=0.003) and smoking OR=2.388， POR=0.489， P=0.005) of cognitive impairments than women. Conclusion The prevalence of cognitive impairments in community-dwelling elderly in Chengdu is high in comparison with those in other cities. Illiteracy, older age (over 70 years), women, smoking, and cerebrovascular disease are risk factors of cognitive impairments.