Educational level and age and the performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination in community-dwelling elderly
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-60832007000100002Keywords:
Elderly, cognitive performance, MMSE, educational levelAbstract
BACKGROUND: Low educational level is common among Brazilian elderly and can affect the results of usual cognitive testing. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of age, and educational level on MMSE performance, in a community-dwelling sample of elderly individuals. METHODS: A community sample was obtained, based on the public health program "BH Vida", Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Home visits were done between August 2001 and June 2002. A Portuguese version of the MMSE was administered to the elderly during home visits. RESULTS: Our sample was composed of 176 individuals, aged 65-97 years old (median = 71). Educational level ranged from no formal education to 13 years of education (median = 3). The MMSE scores ranged from 1 to 30 (median = 23). Both age and educational level had a statistically significant influence in MMSE (p < 0.001 e p < 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Even in the low educational level elderly, length of formal education was a factor significant influencing MMSE score. Increasing age predicted lower total MMSE score.Downloads
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Published
2007-01-01
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Original Articles
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How to Cite
Educational level and age and the performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination in community-dwelling elderly . (2007). Archives of Clinical Psychiatry, 34(1), 13-17. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-60832007000100002