Current Topics in Research The Impact of Mild Cognitive Impairment on Sexual Activity

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the unique impact of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on sexual activity among older adults. Methods: Data for the study were drawn from a national survey entitled the ‘‘Determinants of Wellness among Older Malaysians: A Health Promotion Perspective’ ’ conducted in 2010. Results: According to the Mini-Mental State Examination education-adjusted cutoff points, 15.6 % of the 1046 respondents were identified as having MCI. Older adults with MCI had a sig-nificantly lower level of sexual activity than the healthy cognitive group (chi-square 50.20, P <.001, 32.5 % vs 62.3%). The results of 3-step hierarchical logistic regression model revealed that MCI is significantly associated with decreased sexual activity in community-dwelling older adults, over and beyond demographic factors, and age-related medical conditions affecting sexual activ-ity (odds ratio 0.33, P <.001, 95 % confidence interval 0.23-0.49). Conclusion: Findings from the present study support the significant role of cognitive functioning to perform sexual activity in later life