Abstract
BackgroundGreater cognitive performance has been shown to be associated with better mental and physical health and lower mortality. The present study contributes to the existing literature on the linkages of self-perceived income sufficiency and cognitive impairment. Study also provides additional insights on other socioeconomic and health-related variables that are associated with cognitive impairment in older ages.MethodsData for this study is derived from the 'Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India'. The final sample size for the analysis after removing missing cases was 9176 older adults. Descriptive along with bivariate analyses were presented to show the plausible associations of cognitive impairment with potential risk factors using the chi-square test. Also, binary logistic regression analysis was performed to provide the relationship between cognitive impairment and risk factors. The software used was STATA 14.ResultsAbout 43% of older adults reported that they had no source of income and 7.2% had income but not sufficient to fulfil their basic needs. Older adults with income but partially sufficient to fulfil their basic needs had 39% significantly higher likelihood to suffer from cognitive impairment than older adults who had sufficient income [OR: 1.39; OR: 1.21–1.59]. Likelihood of cognitive impairment was low among older adults with asset ownership than older adults with no asset ownership [OR: 0.83; CI: 0.72–0.95]. Again, older adults who work by compulsion (73.3%) or felt mental or physical stress due to work (57.6%) had highest percentage of cognitive impairment. Moreover, older adults with poor self-rated health, low instrumental activities of daily living, low activities of daily living, low subjective well-being and low psychological health were at increased risk for cognitive impairment.ConclusionThe study highlights the pressing need for care and support and especially financial incentives in the old age to preserve cognitive health. Further, while planning geriatric health care for older adults in India, priority must be given to financially backward, with no asset ownership, with poor health status, older-older, widowed, and illiterate older individuals, as they are more vulnerable to cognitive impairment.
Highlights
Greater cognitive performance has been shown to be associated with better mental and physical health and lower mortality
More than half of the older adults in India reported that they had poor Self-rated health (SRH); about 57% reported that they had low instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and about 7% had low activities of daily living (ADL)
About 24% of older adults belong to poorest wealth status and 15% belong to richest wealth status
Summary
Greater cognitive performance has been shown to be associated with better mental and physical health and lower mortality. Aging population is posited as a social challenge at global level It reflects in older ages at which mental functioning becomes significantly impaired [1]. Studies in developing countries have demonstrated that social networks and familial support are major factors that provide older adults mental reserves and enhance their wellbeing especially those from poor resource settings [10,11,12]. People with low income, low education, lack of support networks or lack of access to appropriate health or social services are all at a greater risk for poor health conditions that are, in turn, risk factors for declining cognitive ability [13]. Recent research has revealed that self-perceived income sufficiency assessment is a useful tool both theoretically and practically, in an underserved population where participants may be more reluctant to report their income levels than their perceived income status [16]
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