Disparities in lifestyle among community-dwelling older adults with or without mild cognitive impairment: a population-based study in north-western China

Abstract

Background: Evidences indicate that patients with unhealthy lifestyles are at a higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. However, uncertainty remains about the association of lifestyles with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in less-developed areas. Methods: We used multi-stage stratified sampling method to obtain study population aged ≥65 years, and subsequently a cross-sectional survey was produced including 509 individuals (109 MCI and 400 healthy controls) between March and June 2023. A healthy lifestyle score was defined by scoring six behaviors (non-smoking, non-drinking, exercising, sleeping duration more than 6 h, having a high-quality diet, and controlled BMI). The cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results: The mean age was 73.8 years, and 57.6% were men of the participates, 21.4% have MCI. Subjects with more healthy lifestyle had significantly lower total score of MMSE, compared to non-MCI subjects. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (smoking, drinking, non-compliance diet, harmful sleep, physical inactivity, and harmful BMI) was the significant risk factors for the presence of MCI, independent of factors as sex, age, education level, and family history of AD. Conclusion: The prevalence of MCI is high, and unhealthy lifestyle is an independent risk factor for MCI in less-developed area. Highlighting the importance of changes in lifestyle behaviors which may influence the cognitive abilities of older adults, specially in settings with approximate conditions.