Background:
Older adults with chronic medical conditions often have a high prevalence of cognitive impairment, possibly linked to the chronicity of their illnesses. This study identifies demographic and clinical factors associated with cognitive impairment in older adults attending specialty clinics in Maiduguri.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study with adults aged 60+ used consecutive sampling. Tools included sociodemographic questionnaires, clinical proformas, and the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSID). SPSS 26.0 was used for analysis, with significance set at 0.05.
Results:
Participants' mean age was 66.6 years. Cognitive impairment prevalence was 14.7%, higher among those aged 70-79, widowed, and those without formal education. It was significantly linked to medical conditions (p = 0.001), particularly hypertension-diabetes comorbidity, long illness duration, polypharmacy, and multiple hospital admissions.
Conclusion:
Findings highlight the need to improve clinical care and awareness of cognitive impairment among older adults, potentially bridging psychiatric and medical practices.
Key words: Keywords: ‘Cognitive impairment’, ‘Older adults’, “Specialties’.
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