Background: WHO defines “Healthy Ageing” as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. The population among the elderly is growing constantly and with increased life expectancy, there is a tremendous increase in morbidity and disability. MCI is an intermediate stage between dementia and cognitive decline in normal individuals. It is important to understand various factors associated with MCI to develop preventive strategies. Objectives: To find out the prevalence and risk factors of mild cognitive impairment among the elderly in Guwahati, Assam. Settings and Design: A communitybased, cross-sectional study was conducted in Guwahati City. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted among the elderly of 60 years or above of both the sexes in Guwahati City. Considering p=14.89%, sample size was calculated as 576 elderly. Fifty percent of the total wards i.e. 16 wards were selected randomly and 36 elderly were selected from each ward. The data were collected using a predesigned and pretested schedule, Hindi Mini-Mental State Examination (HMMSE) scale for mild cognitive impairment, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) of Katz Index and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) of Lawton Index for functional status. Results: The prevalence of MCI was 24.2%. The risk factors like gender, living arrangement, education, alcohol consumption, constipation, sleep disturbance were associated with mild cognitive impairment on binary logistic regression. Conclusion: A very high prevalence of MCI was found among the elderly. Various modifiable risk factors like living arrangement, education, alcohol consumption, sleep disturbance and depression were found to be associated with MCI and it can be targeted to prevent MCI.
