title: Impact of sociodemographic characteristics on cognitive performance in an elderly Sicilian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess cognitive levels in an elderly Sicilian population and to evaluate the role of education and other sociodemographic characteristics in cognitive performance.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The pattern of cognitive performance in the elderly has not been investigated extensively in well-defined Italian populations. This study was conducted as part of a door-to-door survey of common neurologic disorders (the Sicilian Neuro-Epidemiologic Study project).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen physicians administered an Italian version of the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) to all subjects aged 50 years or older who, on November 1, 1987, resided in either of two Sicilian municipalities (Terrasini, Palermo province, and Riposto, Catania province; n = 3,999). Performance was scored as the number of errors on the SMPSQ. To define cognitive impairment we corrected the score for education as suggested by Pfeiffer [J Am Geriatr Soc 1975;23:433-441].
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median SPMSQ score was equal to 2, and cognitive impairment was present in 4.6% of the subjects. In a bivariate analysis, age, sex, education, employment status at interview and principal lifetime occupation were all significantly associated with cognitive impairment. In a multivariate analysis, the same pattern was seen, except that principal lifetime occupation lost its significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that age, sex, education and employment status are the sociodemographic characteristics associated with cognitive impairment in the elderly as measured by the SPMSQ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salemi
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reggio
authors.forename: Letterio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morgante
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grigoletto
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patti
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meneghini
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aridon
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Perri
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savettieri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012802:Sicily / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors