The association between disability and cognitive impairment in an elderly Tanzanian population

Catherine L. Dotchin; Stella-Maria Paddick; William K. Gray; Aloyce Kisoli; Golda Orega; Anna R. Longdon; Paul Chaote; Felicity Dewhurst; Matthew Dewhurst; Richard W. Walker

doi:10.1016/j.jegh.2014.09.004

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Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2015, Pages 57 - 64

The association between disability and cognitive impairment in an elderly Tanzanian population

Authors

Catherine L. Dotchin^a^{, b}^{, *}^,Catherine.dotchin@nhct.nhs.uk, Stella-Maria Paddick^a^{, c}, William K. Gray^a, Aloyce Kisoli^d, Golda Orega^e, Anna R. Longdon^f, Paul Chaote^d, Felicity Dewhurst^a, Matthew Dewhurst^a, Richard W. Walker^a^{, g}

^aNorthumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields, UK

^bInstitute for Ageing, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

^cInstitute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

^dDistrict Medical Office, Hai District Hospital, Boman’gombe, Hai, Tanzania

^eKilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania

^fSouth Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Toruay, UK

^gInstitute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

^*Corresponding author at: Department of Medicine, North Tyneside General Hospital, Rake Lane, North Shields, Tyne and Wear NE29 8NH, UK. Tel./fax: +44 0191 293 2709.

Corresponding Author

Catherine L. DotchinCatherine.dotchin@nhct.nhs.uk

Received 17 July 2014, Revised 12 September 2014, Accepted 13 September 2014, Available Online 23 October 2014.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jegh.2014.09.004 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: Disability; Dementia; WHODAS; Sub-Saharan Africa; Elderly
Abstract: Cognitive impairment is thought to be a major cause of disability worldwide, though data from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the association between cognitive impairment and disability in a cohort of community-dwelling older adults living in Tanzania. The study cohort of 296 people aged 70 years and over was recruited as part of a dementia prevalence study. Subjects were diagnosed as having dementia or mild cognitive impairment according to the DSM-IV criteria. Disability level was assessed according to the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule, version 2.0 (WHODAS). A higher WHODAS score indicates greater disability. The median WHODAS in the background population was 25.0; in those with dementia and in those with mild cognitive impairment, 72 of 78 (92.3%) and 41 of 46 (89.1%), respectively, had a WHODAS score above this level. The presence of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, hearing impairment, being unable to walk without an aid and not having attended school were independent predictors of having a WHODAS score above 25.0, though age and gender were not. In summary, cognitive impairment is a significant predictor of disability in elderly Tanzanians. Screening for early signs of cognitive decline would allow management strategies to be put in place that may reduce the associated disability burden.
Open Access: This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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Journal: Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
Volume-Issue: 5 - 1
Pages: 57 - 64
Publication Date: 2014/10/23
ISSN (Online): 2210-6014
ISSN (Print): 2210-6006
DOI: 10.1016/j.jegh.2014.09.004 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Cite this article

ris enw bib

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Catherine L. Dotchin
AU  - Stella-Maria Paddick
AU  - William K. Gray
AU  - Aloyce Kisoli
AU  - Golda Orega
AU  - Anna R. Longdon
AU  - Paul Chaote
AU  - Felicity Dewhurst
AU  - Matthew Dewhurst
AU  - Richard W. Walker
PY  - 2014
DA  - 2014/10/23
TI  - The association between disability and cognitive impairment in an elderly Tanzanian population
JO  - Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
SP  - 57
EP  - 64
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
SN  - 2210-6014
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2014.09.004
DO  - 10.1016/j.jegh.2014.09.004
ID  - Dotchin2014
ER  -

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