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Subjective memory complaints in elderly: relationship with health status, multimorbidity, medications, and use of services in a population-based study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2016

Montejo C. Pedro ,
Montenegro-Peña Mercedes ,
López-Higes Ramón  and
Montejo R. Borja
Montejo C. Pedro*
Affiliation:
Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Madrid Salud, Madrid City Council, Spain
Montenegro-Peña Mercedes
Affiliation:
Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Madrid Salud, Madrid City Council, Spain Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
López-Higes Ramón
Affiliation:
Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Montejo R. Borja
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: P. Montejo Carrasco, Centre for the Prevention of Cognitive Impairment, Calle Montesa 22 Edificio B, 28006, Madrid, Spain. Phone: 0034 91 5886789/5814. Email: montejop@madrid.es.
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Abstract

Background:

This study examines the associations between subjective memory complaints (SMC) and health variables: multimorbidity, presence of certain diseases, health perceived state, difficulties seeing and hearing, pain, and use of medications and health services. Furthermore, we aim to identify risk groups based on multimorbidity and calculate the effect size for each of these relationships.

Methods:

Cross-sectional epidemiological study using a face-to-face interview with a structured questionnaire. Sample size: 1,342 people aged 65 years and older taken from a random sample of the census tracts. SMC were studied using questions regarding memory complaints.

Results:

Multimorbidity and polypharmacy are associated with SMC, so are impaired vision and hearing. SMC are more frequently present in people who use health services more intensively and exhibit reduced functional activity as a result of diseases. With respect to specific diseases, only cerebrovascular accidents and chronic constipation were associated with SMC. In regression analysis, predictors of SMC were vision and hearing impairment, poor self-perceived health, pain, and general practitioner visits. However, the effect size of these factors is low. The variables that indicate risk groups are number of diseases, reduced functional activity, hearing impairment, and poor self-perceived health.

Conclusions:

Memory complaints are a heterogeneous phenomenon. Our results confirm that multimorbidity, polypharmacy, greater use of health services, pain, and poor self-perceived health are associated with SMC. We identified two risk groups with a high percentage of complaints and a healthy group with a low percentage. Detecting these factors and these risk and healthy groups is useful in achieving proper patients management.

Keywords

subjective memory complaintsmemoryhealth statusmultimorbidityfunctional activitypainelderly
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 28 , Issue 11 , November 2016 , pp. 1903 - 1916
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2016 

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