Prevalence of mild cognitive impairment among older people in Kazakhstan and potential risk factors.

Background: There have been no epidemiological studies of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Central Asia. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of, and risk factors for, MCI in an urban population in Kazakhstan. Methods: Adults aged 60 years and over were randomly selected from registers of 15 polyclinics in Almaty. Of 790 eligible people, 668 agreed to participate (response rate 85%). Subjects were screened using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Those who scored 26 or lower on the MoCA were assessed by a multidisciplinary team and a diagnosis of normal cognition, MCI or dementia was made. Results: The median MoCA score was 22 and the prevalence of MCI was 30%. MoCA scores were lower, and MCI prevalence was higher, among those with less education and those with older age. There was no difference in MoCA scores or MCI prevalence by sex or ethnic group (Kazakh or Russian). High blood pressure, older age, and lower education were associated with increased odds of MCI in crude analyses but only age and education remained statistically significant in an adjusted logistic regression model. Conclusions: The prevalence of MCI in Kazakhstan is high. Higher levels of education may lead to lower prevalence of MCI in the future