Determinants of Cognitive Health Among Aging Adults in Agincourt, South Africa

This study examines influences on cognitive health, showing how aging increases the odds of cognitive impairment by focusing on orientation to time and person among aging adults in Agincourt, South Africa. The Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community in SA (HAALSI) Cohort from the Agincourt data set was used. Binary logistic regression analysis examined factors associated with cognition. Ability to read and/or write positively correlated with the correct recall of year, month, and date. Marital status, HIV status, and hypertension negatively correlated with the correct recall of year, month, and date. Correct recall of a person is influenced by age, duration of residence, ability to read/write, marital status, and hypertension. This study adds to the nascent research on cognitive impairment in Africa. The findings support earlier research on factors that correlate with cognitive impairment. To achieve healthy aging, factors such as hypertension and HIV must be controlled not only among aging adults but people of all ages