Sex Differences in the Association between Different Obesity Parameters and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural China

Abstract

Background: Early identification of risk factors for cognition decline may contribute to the interventions for Alzheimer’s disease. Obesity is a common modifiable risk factor for chronic diseases. The association between obesity and cognition in older adults is limited, and sex differences in this area have not been well recognized. Objective: The aim of the study was to observe the sex differences in the relationship between obesity and cognition in a rural community-dwelling older population of Guizhou, China. Methods: Data were gathered from the baseline survey of a cohort study of older people in rural areas of Guizhou, China. Demographic and behavioral data (sex, age, education, household income, smoking history, drinking history, history of head injury, diet, and level of physical exercise time) were collected. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were used as different measures of obesity. Comparisons between the groups were made by the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Kruskal-Wallis H test. Restricted cubic spline regression was used to examine a dose-response relationship between obesity indicators and cognitive function. Linear relationships were performed by the multivariable linear regression model. Results: A total of 1,654 participants including 964 women and 690 men were enrolled in this study. After adjustment, BMI showed a nonlinear relationship with MMSE scores in women. There was a significant trend toward increasing MMSE scores at the low end of BMI (13.52–20.10 kg/m², p = 0.014). The multivariable linear regression model showed that MMSE increased by 0.631 (p < 0.001) for every one standard deviation increase in HC in women. No association was found between obesity parameters and cognitive function in men. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there are significant sex differences in some obesity parameters and cognition in an older Chinese population. BMI and HC are positively associated with cognitive function in women. No association was found between obesity measures and cognitive function in men.