title: Determinants of cognitive impairment over time among the elderly in Taiwan: results of the national longitudinal study.
abstract: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for cognitive impairment among the elderly population in Taiwan. Data were drawn from three waves of the "Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan", a national longitudinal study started in 1989. We included respondents without dementia or cognitive impairment at baseline in 1993 and followed them over a 10-year period. Cognitive function was measured by the nine-item Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire in 1993, 1999, and 2003. Independent variables, including age, sex, marital status, education, ethnicity, ADLs, IADLs, physical function, social participation, chronic diseases, smoking, and alcohol drinking, were collected at baseline in 1993. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the predictive factors for cognitive impairment. Of the eligible 1,626 respondents, 72 (4.43%) and 484 (29.77%) individuals did not complete follow-up in 1999 and 2003, respectively, mostly due to death. Our results showed that older age (OR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.79-3.78), being female, lower educational level, IADL disability (OR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.38-3.09), and having a history of diabetes (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.06-2.74) or stroke (OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.06-5.26) were independent predictors for cognitive impairment in Taiwan.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, No. 110 Sec. 1, Chien Kuo N. Rd., Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Chih-Jung
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Cheng-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wen-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Shuan-Chih
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chun-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jersey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Te-Jen
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Hui-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shu-Hsin
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Meng-Chih
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology