The Role of Body Mass Index, Advanced Age, and Low Educational Attainment in Mild Cognitive Impairment among the Older Adult Population: A Study in a Rural Area in Indonesia

Abstract

This study evaluated the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and factors associated with MCI among older adults in a rural area of Indonesia. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural area of East Java, Indonesia. Four hundred and twenty-seven older adults aged ≥60 years were included in the study. MCI was assessed using the Brain Health Test Cognitive Tool. Data related to possible risk factors were obtained using semi-structured questionnaires. The indirect body mass index was determined based on ulnar length. The prevalence of MCI was 12.9%. Being underweight (<18.5 kg/m²) (odds ratio [OR], 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17–4.97; p = 0.016), requiring assistance to manage money or medications (OR, 2.72; 95% CI, 1.02–7.23; p = 0.045), age ≥70 years (OR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.11–5.60; p = 0.026), and having an educational attainment of ≤6 years (OR, 4.92; 95% CI, 1.92–12.60; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with MCI. In this Indonesian older adult population, underweight people who had an educational attainment of <6 years, those aged ≥70 years, and those who needed assistance to manage money or medications were more likely to have MCI.

Keywords:

• Education
• Indonesia
• mild cognitive impairment
• older adults
• underweight

Acknowledgments

All authors thank all participants for their consent to participate in this study. We would like to express our appreciation to the Government and District Health Office of Kediri Regency and the Gampengrejo Community Health Center (Pusskesmas) for supporting and assisting research in this study. Special thanks are due to the midwives and community health cadres of IHSPs-older adults for their enormous support and enumerators who helped with data collection and management.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

All authors received no financial support for this study.