Biopsychosocial risk factors for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based study

Stephanie Schrempft, Hélène Baysson, Clément Graindorge, Nick Pullen, Munire Hagose, María-Eugenia Zaballa, Martin A. Preisig, Mayssam Nehme, Idris Guessous and Silvia Stringhini, for the Specchio-COVID19 study group.
Biopsychosocial risk factors for subjective cognitive decline among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based study.Public Health, June 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2024.05.025

Abstract

Objectives: Concerns have been raised about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the measures taken to contain it, on the cognitive health of older people. We therefore examined the prevalence of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), its associated risk factors and its health consequences, in elderly people without dementia, two years after the start of the pandemic, in Switzerland.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Methods: The prevalence of DCS was estimated using a cognitive complaints questionnaire administered to adults aged 65 and over between June and September 2022 (Specchio-COVID19 cohort, N = 1414), and compared with pre-pandemic values from 2014 to 2018 (CoLaus|PsyCoLaus cohort, N = 1181). Associated risk factors and health outcomes were assessed using logistic and/or linear regressions.

Results: The prevalence of DCS in 2022 (18.9% [95% CI, 16.2-21.9]) was comparable to pre-pandemic levels in 2014-2018 (19.5% [17.2-22.1]). Risk factors included previously documented and established risks for dementia, including health problems, certain health behaviours and depressive symptoms. Risk factors also included self-report of post-COVID, perceived deterioration in mental health since the start of the pandemic, less frequent participation in social spaces and increased loneliness. DCS, for its part, was associated with poorer cognitive performance, difficulty in performing certain activities of daily living, an increased risk of falls and a deterioration in well-being at one-year follow-up.

Conclusions: Although the overall prevalence of DCS in 2022 is comparable to pre-pandemic levels, we identified several pandemic-related risk factors associated with it, including perceived deterioration in mental health and increased isolation since the start of the pandemic. These results underline the importance of mental health promotion strategies to reduce cognitive complaints and prevent cognitive decline.

Link to the article in English