Prevalence of Cognitive and Functional Impairment in a Community Sample from São Paulo, Brazil

• Published in: Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders 2008-01, Vol.25 (2), p.135-143
• Main Authors: Hototian, Sergio R., Lopes, Marcos A., Azevedo, Dionisio, Tatsch, Mariana, Bazzarella, Mario C., Bustamante, Sonia E.Z., Litvoc, Julio, Bottino, Cássio M.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil - epidemiology; Catchment Area (Health); Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuropharmacology; Neuropsychological Tests; Original Research Article; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prevalence; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychomotor Disorders - diagnosis; Psychomotor Disorders - epidemiology; Psychopharmacology; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1420-8008; 1421-9824
• DOI: 10.1159/000112554

Aims: To present the prevalence of cognitive and functional impairment (CFI) in community-dwelling elderly subjects from the city of São Paulo. Methods: The population was aged 60 years and older (n = 1,563; 68.7% women and 31.3% men) and lived in different socioeconomic areas. The following instruments were administered to the elderly: the Mini Mental State Examination and the Fuld Object Memory Evaluation. The Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly and the Bayer-Activities of Daily Living scale were administered to an informant. Results: The prevalence of CFI (n = 250) was 16% (95% confidence interval, CI: 14.2–17.8%) or 15.8% (95% CI: 13.8–17.8%). In regression models, the increase in the odds ratio (OR) of CFI was associated with age, for elderly individuals aged 75 years or older, illiterates or with 1–4 years of schooling, and with a history of stroke and diabetes mellitus. On the other hand, for subjects with a tumor history, the OR of CFI was significantly reduced. Conclusion: CFI was high and increased at older ages and in subjects with low education. Potentially changeable factors were identified (stroke and diabetes), and the possible ‘protective effect’ of tumor/cancer against CFI should be further investigated by longitudinal studies.