Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to identify the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among a group of community-dwelling elderly and to determine if there were differences in general characteristics, activities of daily living (ADL), perceived health status (PHS) between the MCI group and group of elderly with normal cognitive function.
METHODS
This study utilized a descriptive survey design. Six hundred and five subjects over the age 65 were recruited from an S public health center, Seoul. Data were gathered through a variety of instruments: MoCA-K, K-MMSE, K-MBI, S-IADL, and PHS scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 18.0 using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test and t-test.
RESULTS
The prevalence of MCI among the subjects was 46.0%. Differences in IADL, PHS, age, education, sex, and residing with a spouse were statistically significant between groups. The MCI group had lower IADL, lower PHS, were older, and had lower educational levels than the group with normal cognitive function. Further, the MCI group was less likely to live with a spouse.
CONCLUSION
It is suggested that MCI group should be targeted in developing and implementing nursing strategies to prevent dementia and improve the elderly cognitive function.