2 research outputs found
Cognitive impairment in a primary healthcare population: a cross-sectional study on the island of Crete, Greece
Objectives Cognitive impairment is known to have a significant impact on
the quality of life of individuals and their caregivers, yet it is often
underdiagnosed. The objective of this study is to assess the extent of
cognitive impairment among elders visiting primary healthcare (PHC)
practice settings, to explore associated risk factors and discuss
current care challenges for PHC providers. Design A cross-sectional
study was conducted between March 2013 and May 2014. Setting Fourteen
PHC units located in rural and urban areas of the Heraklion district in
Crete, Greece. Participants Consecutive visitors aged at least 60 years
attending selected PHC practices. Primary and secondary outcome measures
The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to indicate cognitive
status. Associations of low MMSE scores (<= 23/24, adjusted for
education level) with 12 socio-demographic factors, comorbidities and
lifestyle factors were assessed. Results A total of 3140 PHC patients
met inclusion criteria (43.2% male; mean age 73.7 +/- 7.8 years). The
average MMSE score was 26.0 +/- 3.8; 26.7 +/- 3.5 in male and 25.4 +/-
3.9 in female participants (p<0.0001). Low MMSE scores were detected in
20.2% of participants; 25.9% for females vs 12.8% for males;
p<0.0001. Female gender (adjusted OR (AOR)=2.72; 95% CI 2.31 to 3.47),
age (AOR=1.11; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.13), having received only primary or no
formal education (AOR=2.87; 95% CI 2.26 to 3.65), alcohol intake
(AOR=1.19; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.37), reporting one or more sleep complaints
(AOR 1.63; 95% CI 1.14 to 2.32), dyslipidaemia (AOR=0.80; 95% CI 0.65
to 0.98) and history of depression (AOR=1.90; 95% CI 1.43 to 2.52) were
associated with low MMSE scores. Conclusions This study identified a
relatively high prevalence of low MMSE scores among persons attending
PHC practices in a southern European community setting and associations
with several known risk factors