The identification of the prevalence of cognitive impairment and associated
factors among older adults is important in countries facing rapid demographic
transition, given the significant implications for public policy and health
planning.ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of functional cognitive impairment (FCI) and
associated factors in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults.MethodsA cross-sectional study involving 461 elderly subjects residing in Fortaleza
city, Ceará was conducted. Cognitive assessment was performed using
three tests: the MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination), VF (Verbal Fluency)
and CT (Clock Test). The functional capacity evaluation was based on a
survey of 21 basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs).
Cognitive impairment was defined by MMSE cut-off points adjusted for
literacy. Functional impairment was defined as dependency to carry out more
than four ADLs.ResultsThe prevalence of FCI was 13.64% (95% CI: 10.33 to 16.64%). FCI was
proportionally associated with age with OR=2.24 (95% CI: 1.04 to 4.79) for
individuals aged 70 to 79 years and OR=8.27 (95 % CI: 4.27 to 16.4) for
those aged 80 to 100 years. FCI was associated with self-reported diseases
including hypertension OR=2.06 (95% CI: 1.17 to 3.65), stroke OR=2.88 (95%
CI: 1.66 to 5.00) and acute myocardial infarction OR=2.94 (95% CI: 1.59 to
5.42). The occurrence of FCI was proportionally correlated with the number
of drugs used.ConclusionFunctional cognitive impairment is a prevalent condition in Brazilian
community-dwelling older adults and its occurrence is associated with age,
number of drugs used, and vascular morbidities.