March 3, 2026Open Access

Interplay of diet, nutritional status, and psychological well-being in mild cognitive impairment among urban elders in Hyderabad, India: a cross-sectional study

Key Points

Mild cognitive impairment was observed in 71.2% of participants aged 60 and older, indicating a significant issue in this population.
Women had nearly four times higher odds of mild cognitive impairment compared to men, highlighting gender disparities in cognitive health.
Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified stress and docosapentaenoic acid intake as key factors affecting cognitive function.
Findings suggest that addressing nutritional and psychological factors could mitigate cognitive impairment, although causality cannot be established.

Abstract

As the global population ages, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has become a growing concern due to its potential association with dementia, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study explores relation of dietary intake, nutritional status, and psychological distress with cognitive function among elderly individuals in a low-resource urban setting in India. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among population aged 60 years and older in an urban area under the HNDSS, Addagutta, Hyderabad. A total of 153 participants were enrolled. Data were gathered through household surveys, anthropometry, a regionally adapted FFQ, and cognitive and psychological assessments using the MoCA/MoCA-Basic and DASS-21. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to identify the independent risk factors for MCI. Of the 153 participants from 121 households, 71.2% were identified as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Females had 3.93 (95% CI 1.83–8.47; p < 0.001) times higher odds of MCI compared to males. Participants experiencing stress had increased odds (AOR = 3.50, 95% CI = 1.20-10.19, p = 0.021), and Dietary intake of Docosapentaenoic (DPA) (AOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.80–0.94, p = 0.001) had decreased odds of MCI compared to their counterparts. A high burden of mild cognitive impairment was observed, and factors such as stress, education, and DPA intake showed significant associations. While these findings point to potentially modifiable pathways, the cross-sectional design prevents causal inference, underscoring the need for longitudinal studies to confirm these relationships.

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Cite This Study

Ramanujam et al. (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a7662fbadf0bb9e87dc079 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-026-01429-9

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