Cognitive Impairment among Women of Above 50 Years from Slums in Kolkata, West Bengal: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Being a neurodegenerative disorder, cognitive impairment can impact any age group, irrespective of their socioeconomic status and education. The risk of cognitive changes increases with aging and concurrent medical diseases, and the present research was carried out to assess the proportion of cognitive impairment among women above 50 years residing in a slum area of Kolkata. Methodology: An observational study cross-sectional design was conducted among 105 women aged above 50 years residing in a slum area of Kolkata for 4 months March–May 2023. It was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), which was a 30-point questionnaire. Data were collected from participants through face-to-face interviews and subsequently analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019 and SPSS version 25. Results: Of 105 participants, around 52.4% had cognitive impairment. The mean age was 59.11 ± 7.09 years, 78% were married, about 40% were residing with a spouse, 51% belonged to a joint family, about 83% were homemakers, 68.6% had a sedentary lifestyle, and 75.2% were suffering from chronic disease. Age, education, religion, occupation, and addiction contributed to cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Over half of the women aged above 50 years had cognitive impairment. Age, education, religion, occupation, and addiction were significantly associated. Awareness, psychological support, and care seeking can improve cognitive function.