Characteristics in the daily life of the elderly that indicate a risk of dementia

Abstract

Early detection of dementia is difficult. In this study, we focused on characteristics in the daily life of elderly who have an increased risk of dementia to find factors useful for detecting dementia onset. Participants were 164 community-dwelling elderly from a single Japanese prefecture. Data were gathered via questionnaire survey instruments and a basic health check list. Participants were classified into 2 groups: High risk and Low risk of dementia, according to basic health check data. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the 2 groups. The effective response was 154 (93.9%), of which 93 (56.7%) were completed. Nineteen people were classified into the high risk group and 74 into the low risk group. The high risk group had higher GDS, lower LSNS-6, lower frequency of naps/week and lower number of daily activities/day than the low risk group. High risk of dementia had significantly association with GDS (OR 4.805; CI 1.298-17.777; P 0.019) and frequency of naps (OR 0.191; CI 0.075-0.482; P 0.01). While, further studies are needed that gather objective data and including the diagnosis of dementia type, the findings of the current study suggest that, among the daily life habits of the elderly, we should pay particular attention to a tendency toward depression, frequency of naps, and lower social interaction (social isolation), for the early detection, treatment, and care for dementia in community.