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J Prev Alzheimers Dis
. 2025 Sep 19:100370.
doi: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100370. Online ahead of print. Trends in cognitive impairment among older adults in China from 2002 to 2022: Evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Lei Feng 1 , Kaisy Xinhong Ye 2 , Qiushi Feng 3 , Yan Mo 3 , Zuqi Cai 3 , Chunbo Li 4 , Jintai Yu 5 , Bin Li 6 , Andrea B Maier 7 , Yi Zeng 8 , Zhenglian Wang 9
Affiliations
Background: Cognitive impairment is a growing public health concern, particularly in aging populations. While trends in CI prevalence in China were studied up to 2018, no previous research has explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected these trends.
Objectives: This study aims to extend the analysis to 2022, examining the impact of the pandemic on cognitive impairment prevalence.
Participants: The Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data across multiple waves (2002 to 2022) was used (n=64,872).
Measurements: Cognitive impairment was assessed using a Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The rural/urban-sex-single age-specific prevalence of cognitive impairment across different waves were estimated using the DemoRates R package. Cognitive impairment trends before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were compared to identify any significant changes.
Results: In 2018 and previous waves, an average of 16,191 participants per wave were surveyed (four waves), with a cognitive impairment prevalence of 4.3%. In 2022, post-COVID-19, the survey included 14,022 participants and showed a significant increase in CI prevalence to 6.8%. The observed trends were independent of gender, age group, and residential environment (P-trend < 0.001). However, a significant decrease in mean calf circumference, increase in proportion of overweight participants, and increases in daily fruit and vegetable intake and regular physical activity were notable after the pandemic.
Conclusion: The study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the observed increase in cognitive impairment prevalence in China, underscoring the importance of further research into the long-term cognitive effects of global health crises. These findings highlight the need to strengthen healthcare systems to support cognitive health in an aging population, while considering both pandemic-related and ongoing factors in the management of cognitive impairment.
Keywords: China; Cognitive impairment; Coronavirus; Pandemic; Prevalence.
. 2025 Sep 19:100370.
doi: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100370. Online ahead of print. Trends in cognitive impairment among older adults in China from 2002 to 2022: Evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
Lei Feng 1 , Kaisy Xinhong Ye 2 , Qiushi Feng 3 , Yan Mo 3 , Zuqi Cai 3 , Chunbo Li 4 , Jintai Yu 5 , Bin Li 6 , Andrea B Maier 7 , Yi Zeng 8 , Zhenglian Wang 9
Affiliations
- PMID: 40973521
- DOI: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100370
Background: Cognitive impairment is a growing public health concern, particularly in aging populations. While trends in CI prevalence in China were studied up to 2018, no previous research has explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected these trends.
Objectives: This study aims to extend the analysis to 2022, examining the impact of the pandemic on cognitive impairment prevalence.
Participants: The Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data across multiple waves (2002 to 2022) was used (n=64,872).
Measurements: Cognitive impairment was assessed using a Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The rural/urban-sex-single age-specific prevalence of cognitive impairment across different waves were estimated using the DemoRates R package. Cognitive impairment trends before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were compared to identify any significant changes.
Results: In 2018 and previous waves, an average of 16,191 participants per wave were surveyed (four waves), with a cognitive impairment prevalence of 4.3%. In 2022, post-COVID-19, the survey included 14,022 participants and showed a significant increase in CI prevalence to 6.8%. The observed trends were independent of gender, age group, and residential environment (P-trend < 0.001). However, a significant decrease in mean calf circumference, increase in proportion of overweight participants, and increases in daily fruit and vegetable intake and regular physical activity were notable after the pandemic.
Conclusion: The study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the observed increase in cognitive impairment prevalence in China, underscoring the importance of further research into the long-term cognitive effects of global health crises. These findings highlight the need to strengthen healthcare systems to support cognitive health in an aging population, while considering both pandemic-related and ongoing factors in the management of cognitive impairment.
Keywords: China; Cognitive impairment; Coronavirus; Pandemic; Prevalence.