title: Prevalence of cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mild cognitive impairment can be considered as an intermediate clinical state between normal cognitive aging and mild dementia. Elderly people with this impairment represent an at-risk group for the development of dementia. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and its relationship with socio-demographic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this analytical-descriptive study, 212 subjects admitted to Hamadan's day care centers were selected through simple random sampling method. To gather the data, MMSE was used as well as a questionnaire containing demographic variables. Data analysis was completed through SPSS-16.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 17.9% male, 59.4% of whom were married. According to the results, 96 cases (45.3%) suffered from mild (MMSE≥22), 110 cases (51.9%) from moderate (11≤MMSE≤21) and 6 cases (2.8%) from severe cognitive disorder (MMSE≤10). As findings revealed, factors such as age (Pv = 0.005, r = -0.491) and schooling (Pv < 0.001) are of significant relationship with MMSE score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults was of normal range. Hence, familial relations and social support can decrease mental status disorder.
authors.affiliation: Iranian Research Center on Aging, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rashedi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences & Health Services, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaei
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Neurorehabilitation Research Center, University of Social Welfare & Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharib
keywords: Cognitive Impairment; Community-Dwelling; Elders