Assessing risk factors for cognitive impairment in rural areas: methodology and pilot study in community pharmacy

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is known to be mediated by a variety of risk factors, with age being the most influential of these. The worldwide phenomenon of an aging population makes decoupling old age from disease through the concept of healthy aging a matter of major interest. In Spain, rural depopulated areas, where the lack of health services is an additional concern, constitute a group of particularly aged population. Community pharmacies are widely distributed throughout the territory and are in close contact with this vulnerable population group. 

Methods: We designed and piloted a methodology to assess cognitive impairment and healthy aging from a holistic point of view. Our questionnaire comprises five sections: cognitive impairment, sociodemographic factors, health problems, lifestyle and psychosocial factors. 

Results: The estimated prevalences of cognitive impairment and healthy aging in our cohort were 28.2 % and 15.4 %, respectively. The prevalences (or the population mean values) found for well-known risk and protective factors for cognitive impairment were consistent with those described for Spanish population in the scientific literature. The results showed that our questionnaire can be an appropriate tool for collecting information in our media and suitable for researching how modifiable risk and protective factors influence cognitive status from a holistic perspective. 

Conclusion: The complex interrelationships between variables should be further investigated. In this respect, novel areas, such as psychosocial variables, should also be the focus of efforts to advance the cognitive impairment knowledge.