Factors associated with cognitive performance in residents of long-term care facilities in Northeast Mexico.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate factors associated with cognitive impairment (CI) in institutionalized Mexican older adults. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study of residents of three long-term care facilities in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Mexico. A medical history, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Barthel index, geriatric depression scale, and a nutritional screening were performed. CI was defined as MMSE ≤24. Results: Of 280 octogenarian residents (72.1% females) 61.1 % had a MMSE ≤24. Older age (OR=1.047), functional dependence (OR=10.309), malnutrition (OR=2.202), urinary incontinence (OR=2.588), and history of fracture (OR=1.764) were directly associated to CI. While higher education level (OR=0.583) and the use of antihypertensives (OR=0.521), antihistamines (OR=0.322), antiprostatic hypertrophy (OR=0.219), and lipid-lowering drugs (OR=0.575) were inversely associated. Conclusions: The evaluation of cognitive performance and its associated factors is essential for institutionalized patients in order to implement a management program aimed at reducing the progression of CI and its possible complications.