Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health (Nov 2023)
Incidence and risk factors of cognitive impairment: A 6-year follow-up study from North India
Abstract
Background: More than 55 million people globally suffer from cognitive impairment (CI), and over 60% of them reside in low- and middle-income countries. Longitudinal studies provide a more robust understanding of incidence and risk factors. The present study aimed to estimate the incidence and socio-demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical risk factors of CI in the Jat community of North India. Methods: The present longitudinal study recruited 223 adult individuals of both sexes from the Jat community residing in the Palwal district of Haryana, North India. Data on socio-demographic variables were collected through a pretested interview schedule. Assessment of cognition in both baseline and end-line was done through RUDAS. Data on anthropometric and biochemical variables were collected through standardized methods. Results: The overall incidence rate of CI in the studied population was found to be 28.4 per 1000 individuals-years. Further, among all the socio-demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical variables considered, illiteracy (2.5-fold), high waist-hip ratio (WHR) (5.1-fold), and high percentage body fat (PBF) (2.9-fold) in the baseline were significantly associated with increased risk for incidence-CI. However, none of the biochemical variables posed any significantly increased risk for the incidence of CI. Conclusion: The present study is the first of its kind follow-up study on CI in India, which evaluated the incidence rate and associated risk factors for the incidence of CI in the population. The study revealed a substantial incidence rate of CI in the studied population and found illiteracy, high WHR, and high PBF to be associated with the incidence of CI.
