Analysis of Factors Associated with Subjective Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) among Older Adults Resident in the Community

Abstract

This study explored the associated factors of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults, focusing on personal characteristics and health promotion activities. The research design of this study was a non-experimental, cross-sectional design. This study used secondary data from the 2019 community health survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). In this study, 20,041 older adults with subjective MCI and 52,587 healthy older adults—a total of 72,628 subjects—were analyzed as the final subjects in this study. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, a chi-square test, an independent t-test, and logistic regression. The results indicate that the probability of experiencing subjective MCI significantly decreased with an increase in monthly income (odds ratio (OR) = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19–2.46); increased with an increase in depressive symptoms (odds ratio (OR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04–1.15); and decreased with an increase in the quality of life level (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.82–0.99). Through the results of this study, several factors related to MCI in older adults were identified. If these related factors are properly managed, the possibility of MCI in older adults may be reduced. Therefore, MCI in older adults should be addressed as a preventable disease rather than a natural aging process.