The association between body mass index, waist circumference, waist–hip ratio and cognitive disorder in older adults

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the association between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist–hip ratio (WHR) and cognitive disorder in older adults.

Methods

Cross-sectional data from the mini-mental state examination questionnaire and physical examination of older adults (≥65, n = 1037) were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression examined the odds ratios (ORs) of cognitive performance according to BMI, WC and WHR.

Results

The prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in older adults was 13.0%. The BMI-based overweight rate, obesity rate and central obesity rate calculated by either WC or WHR were 39.6, 11.4% and 66.5, 65.6%, respectively. The risk of cognitive impairment was increased in elderly individuals ≥70 years old than in those <70 years old (OR = 1.738). In addition, gender, WHR and smoking habit were also significantly different between the two age groups (P < 0.05). We examined the effects of different BMI values and WC/WHR central obesity on cognition impairment in ≥70-year-old adults and found that BMI obesity and WC/WHR central obesity had a combined effect on the incidence of cognition impairment (OR = 3.076 and OR = 3.584).

Conclusions

BMI obesity and WC/WHR central obesity have a combined effect on cognitive impairment and WHR has a stronger association with cognitive impairment than WC.