Associations Between Abdominal Obesity, Chewing Difficulty and Cognitive Impairment in Dementia-Free Chinese Elderly.

Objective: To investigate the independent and synergistic associations between abdominal obesity, chewing difficulty and cognitive impairment in a community-dwelling older adults sample in China.

Methods: Cognitive function was measured by the 5 min- Montreal Cognitive Assessment (5 min-MoCA) and abdominal obesity was measured by A Body Shape Index (ABSI) in 572 participants recruited from local communities. Chewing difficulty was assessed via a self-report questionnaire. Linear regression and general logistic regression were performed to investigate the association of chewing difficulty and abdominal obesity with cognition.

Results: Chewing difficulty score [β (95% CI) = -.30 (-.49, -.11)] and ABSI [β (95%CI) = -.30 (-.55, -.05)] were independently associated with worse performance on the 5 min-MoCA. Whilst ABSI was not associated with cognitive impairment, the co-existence of chewing difficulty and abdominal obesity [OR (95% CI) = 2.22 (1.18, 4.17)] was found associated with the presence of cognitive impairment.

Conclusion: Chewing difficulty and abdominal obesity were independently associated with cognition. Abdominal obesity and chewing may have an additive effect on cognitive function.