Gender differences in subjective memory impairment in a general population: the HUNT study, Norway

Abstract

Background: There is increased focus on early diagnosis of dementia, and subjective awareness of memory impairment is often assumed to be an early symptom of dementia. Subjective memory impairment (SMI) is used to describe subjective awareness of memory problems in the elderly after identifiable diseases which include this symptom are excluded. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to examine the occurrence of SMI in a general adult population and its association with education level, subjective health, anxiety, depression and satisfaction with life. Methods: Nine items about memory were included in the questionnaire for participants aged 30+ in the large population based HUNT Study(2006-08). Health data, such as global health, symptoms of anxiety and depression and satisfaction with life in addition to level of education was collected. Stratified analyses were used to study gender differences in SMI sum score. Cohen's d was measured as an effect size. One-way ANOVA followed by a Tukey post-hoc test was used to test the association between SMI sum score and each category of gender, age, education, global health and satisfaction with life. Bivariate correlation between symptoms of anxiety and depression and SMI were tested and finally the association between SMI sum score and age, gender, education level, subjective health and symptoms of depression and anxiety was tested in a linear regression model. Results: Nearly half of the participants (n=37,405: 44.6% women, 46.2% men) reported minor memory problems. Severe problems were reported by 1.2% of women and 1.6% of men. Remembering names and dates were the most frequent problems, and they increased with age. In eight out of nine items, more men than women reported memory problems. Elevated SMI was associated with poor self-perceived global health, symptoms of anxiety and depression and low education in both men and women and in all age groups. Conclusion: Minor subjective memory problems were very common, and SMI was clearly associated with health measures and with level of education. The relatively strong association between SMI and symptoms of depression might be of clinical interest. The reason for men reporting more memory problems than women remains unexplained.

Risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in older people with subjective memory complaints: meta-analysis

“…Although a definition of SMC has not been operationalized numerous self‐report measures have been developed . In one large community survey, about half of individuals reported minor memory problems . In a UK survey, 31.7% reported forgetfulness in the last month, while 6.4% had forgotten something important in the last week .…”

Subjective working and declarative memory in dementia and normal aging

“…All participants, both patients with dementia and normal elderly individuals, had participated in the third wave of the Nord‐Trøndelag Health survey (HUNT3) conducted in middle Norway from October 2006 to June 2008 and completed the subjective memory form (MMQ); The present study included two cohorts of patients with dementia from the Health and Memory Study (HMS); One cohort included all residents from nursing homes in Nord‐Trøndelag County evaluated as demented during 2010‐2011. The other cohort included all patients who had been diagnosed with dementia at any of the two Nord‐Trøndelag county hospitals between 1995 and 2010.…”

“…The Meta‐Memory Questionnaire (MMQ); was used in the HUNT3 epidemiological health survey to study subjective memory in Norway . A recent study using the MMQ in normal elderly individuals showed that this instrument measures two statistically independent components of SMCs, one related to long‐term declarative memory and the other related to short‐term working memory .…”

Prevalence and psychosocial correlates of subjectively perceived decline in five cognitive domains: Results from a population‐based cohort study in Germany

“…This has been found in several studies. [25][26][27][28] Others, however, found no such increase. 24,[29][30][31] It is also largely unknown, whether other sociodemographic (gender, educational attainment) and psychological variables (depressive symptomatology, neuroticism, cognitive performance), which have been identified in previous research as potentially influencing subjective memory/cognitive complaints, 11,24,32 are also relevant for the other cognitive domains.…”