A Study on The Assessment of Cognitive Impairment Among Elderly Patients Visiting Rural Health and Training Centre

Background: According to the United Nations, about one in five Indians will be 60 years or older by year 2050. Following this demographic shift, an increase in the proportion of cognitive disorders is expected. This study aims to identify those who have cognitive impairment among the rural elderly and study the factors associated. Methodology: The cross-sectional study was done on patients attending rural health and training centre of a tertiary care medical college and hospital in Chennai. One hundred seventy-eight participants above 60 years of age were screened with the Mini-CogTM tool. Those who scored less than 4 on the Mini-Cog scale were referred for cognitive evaluation by a clinical psychologist. Results: The overall prevalence of individuals positive for cognitive impairment was 41.6%. On bivariate analysis, individuals older than 65 years of age, those who were leading a retired life, not living with spouse, current alcoholics and smokers were associated with impaired cognition. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed participants who were retired and not living with spouse were independently associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusion: A high proportion of participants screened positive for cognitive impairment. Integrating cognitive health with primary care can help in giving attention and support for the ageing population.