Validation of cognitive functioning categories in the Canadian Community Health Survey--Healthy Aging.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to validate categories of cognitive functioning using data from the 2009 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)--Healthy Aging Cognition Module.


METHODS
Four measures of cognitive functioning--immediate and delayed recall (memory), and animal-naming and the Mental Alternation Test (executive functioning)--were coded into five categories for the Canadian household population aged 45 or older. The scores for each measure were standardized to t-scores that controlled for age, sex and education. Respondents were classified into five cognitive functioning categories. Cross-tabulations, stratum-specific likelihood ratios and multinomial logit regression were used to assess associations between levels of cognitive functioning and various health outcomes: self-reported general and mental health status, memory and problem-solving ability, activities of daily living, life satisfaction, loneliness, depression, and chronic conditions.


RESULTS
Results supported the use of five levels of cognitive functioning for all four outcomes on the CCHS--Healthy Aging sample overall and by age group (45 to 64, 65 or older) and language group (English, French).


CONCLUSIONS
These categories can be used in future work on cognitive functioning based on the CCHS--Healthy Aging.
Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6. Holly Tuokko is with the University of Victoria. Susan Kirkland is with Dalhousie University. Leanne.Findlay@statcan.gc.ca
Leanne
L
Findlay
Julie
J
Bernier
Holly
H
Tuokko
Susan
S
Kirkland
Heather
H
Gilmour
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors