ABSTRACT
Although both obesity and ageing are risk factors for cognitive impairment, there is no evidence in Chile on how obesity levels are associated with cognitive function. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between adiposity levels and cognitive impairment in older Chilean adults. This cross-sectional study includes 1384 participants, over 60 years of age, from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009-2010. Cognitive impairment was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination. BMI and waist circumference (WC) were used as measures of adiposity. Compared with people with a normal BMI, the odds of cognitive impairment were higher in participants who were underweight (OR 4·44; 95 % CI 2·43, 6·45; P < 0·0001), overweight (OR 1·86; 95 % CI 1·06, 2·66; P = 0·031) and obese (OR 2·26; 95 % CI 1·31, 3·21; P = 0·003). The associations were robust after adjustment for confounding variables. Similar results were observed for WC. Low and high levels of adiposity are associated with an increased likelihood of cognitive impairment in older adults in Chile.
Subject(s)
Adiposity , Aging , Cognitive Dysfunction/epidemiology , Obesity/epidemiology , Overweight/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Body Mass Index , Chile , Cognitive Dysfunction/complications , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Surveys , Humans , Life Style , Male , Mental Status and Dementia Tests , Middle Aged , Obesity/complications , Overweight/complications , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Waist Circumference , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: our understanding of human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer has improved dramatically, with a vaccine against the viral infection being a real possibility in the near future. AIMS: the goal of an HPV vaccine would be to reduce the prevalence of infection and hence the risk of cervical abnormalities. However, questions arise as to how this would interact with an existing intervention, screening, which reduces the progress of cervical abnormalities to serious disease. Furthermore, will a vaccine against one genotype influence the other types within a population and will the patterns of infection and disease remain the same if the vaccine alters the timing and type of HPVs experienced within a population? What would a vaccine that only worked in one sex achieve and how widespread would the use of such a vaccine have to be? CONCLUSION: the above-given questions can be addressed within a theoretical framework that describes the transmission dynamics of human papilloma virus.
