Association between impaired cognition status and activities of daily living among elderly: Evidence from longitudinal ageing study in India

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association of impaired cognition status with activities of daily living among elderly Indian (≥ 60 years) population. METHODS: Cross-sectional comparative analysis was conducted using nationally representative data from a longitudinal ageing study in India (LASI) survey (2017-18). The univariate and multivariate logistic regression established associations between impaired cognition status and activities of daily living. RESULTS: Among the study subjects, 41.6% and 16.3% faced difficulties in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. The significant adjusted odds of having ADL difficulty was 1.46 times more and IADL difficulty was 2.31 times more in participants with impaired cognition status than normal. CONCLUSION: With ageing, activities of daily living worsen which is found in our study results. Due to the rapidly increasing ageing population, early detection and prevention of disability or preservation of daily functioning for ageing population and females in particular should be the highest priority for public health decision-makers.