Age- and Sex-Specific Prevalence and Modifiable Risk Factors of Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults in China: A Population-Based Observational Study

Minimal data are available on the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older Chinese adults. Moreover, the current information on MCI shows important geographical variations.

We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for MCI by age and sex among older adults in a North Chinese population.

In this population-based cross-sectional study, we enrolled a random sample of 4,943 adults aged ≥ 60 years between March 2018 and June 2019 in Tianjin, China. Of these, 312 individuals were excluded due to a lack of data (e.g., fasting blood test). As a result, 4,631 subjects were assessed. Individuals with MCI were identified using neuropsychological assessments, including the Mini-Mental State Examination and Activities of Daily Living scale, based on a modified version of the Petersen’s criteria.

The mean (SD) age of the 4,631 participants was 67.6 (4.89) years, and 2,579 (55.7%) were female. The overall age- and sex-standardized prevalence of MCI in our study population was 10.7%. There were significant associations of MCI with age [65–69 vs. 60–64 years, OR = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.58, 0.96], physical activity (≥23.0 vs. <23.0 MET-hours/week, OR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.96), body mass index (BMI) (OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.95), grip strength (OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.38, 0.67), hypertension (yes vs. no, OR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.77), higher levels of sleepiness (OR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.36, 2.37), and longer sleep duration (OR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.72). The inverse association between BMI and MCI was stronger in older age groups (P for heterogeneity = 0.003). Moreover, the magnitude of association between triglycerides and MCI was different between the sexes (P for heterogeneity = 0.029).

The age- and sex-standardized prevalence of MCI was 10.7% in the study sample. Physical activity, BMI, grip strength, sleepiness, sleep duration, and hypertension were associated with the prevalence of MCI. Additionally, triglycerides and BMI might be differently associated with the presence of MCI for different sexes and age stages, respectively.