Objective: This study investigated the biomedical, psychological, and social behavior risk factors for cognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 240 patients with T2DM. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic and disease-related data on patients, and the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Diabetes Self-care Scale (DSCS), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used to assess patients’ depression status, self-management behavior, and social support, respectively. The Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to evaluate cognitive function, with a score < 26 set as the threshold for cognitive impairment.
Results: The prevalence of cognitive dysfunction in middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM was 52.5%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age, a history of hypoglycemia within 1 month, and depression were independent risk factors for cognitive impairment. Education for > 12 years, urban living, and a higher total score on the DSCS were independent protective factors against cognitive impairment.
Conclusion: T2DM patients with high risk of cognitive impairment can be identified early from the bio-psycho-social perspective. Patients with T2DM who are older, less educated, living in rural areas, have hypoglycemia history, and have poor self-management of diabetes are at increased risk of cognitive impairment. Closer monitoring of patients with hypoglycemia, early detection of depression, and improving patients’ self-management capacity can prevent cognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM.
Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, cognitive impairment, depression, self-care, social support