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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NCJournal of Public Health Research

Associations of novel and conventional anthropometric indices with domain-specific low cognitive performance in older adults

  • Yidian Wan1
  • Jingyu Lin1
  • Bingjie Zhou2
  • Yanyan Wei1
  • Jingxu Chen1
  1. 1Capital Medical University, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
  2. 2Department of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
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Abstract

Background: The comparative relevance of conventional and newer anthropometric indices for domain-specific low cognitive performance in older adults remains uncertain.

Design: and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2,384 adults aged 60 years or older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 with complete anthropometric, cognitive, covariate, and survey-design data. Eight anthropometric indices were standardized using survey-weighted means and standard deviations. Test-defined low cognitive performance was evaluated across the digit symbol substitution test (DSST), animal fluency test, immediate recall test, and delayed recall test. Low DSST performance was prespecified as the primary outcome. Survey-weighted logistic regression accounted for NHANES weights, strata, and primary sampling units, with false discovery rate correction across the eight primary DSST comparisons and an exploratory correction across all 32 index-domain combinations.

Results: In fully adjusted models, higher weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and A Body Shape Index (ABSI) were associated with greater odds of low DSST performance (WWI: odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.46, p=0.011, q=0.045; ABSI: OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.43, p=0.009, q=0.045). Associations with other cognitive domains were weaker and did not remain significant under the broader 32-test correction.

Conclusions: WWI and ABSI showed modest, domain-specific associations with test-defined low processing-speed performance. The findings are hypothesis-generating and require longitudinal and external validation.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{wan2026associations,
  title = {{Associations of novel and conventional anthropometric indices with domain-specific low cognitive performance in older adults}},
  author = {Yidian Wan and Jingyu Lin and Bingjie Zhou and Yanyan Wei and Jingxu Chen},
  journal = {Journal of Public Health Research},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1177/22799036261486697},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13724849},
  note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Associations of novel and conventional anthropometric indices with domain-specific low cognitive performance in older adults
AU  - Yidian Wan
AU  - Jingyu Lin
AU  - Bingjie Zhou
AU  - Yanyan Wei
AU  - Jingxu Chen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Journal of Public Health Research
DO  - 10.1177/22799036261486697
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13724849
AB  - Background: The comparative relevance of conventional and newer anthropometric indices for domain-specific low cognitive performance in older adults remains uncertain.  Design: and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2,384 adults aged 60 years or older from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 with complete anthropometric, cognitive, covariate, and survey-design data. Eight anthropometric indices were standardized using survey-weighted means and standard deviations. Test-defined low cognitive performance was evaluated across the digit symbol substitution test (DSST), animal fluency test, immediate recall test, and delayed recall test. Low DSST performance was prespecified as the primary outcome. Survey-weighted logistic regression accounted for NHANES weights, strata, and primary sampling units, with false discovery rate correction across the eight primary DSST comparisons and an exploratory correction across all 32 index-domain combinations.  Results: In fully adjusted models, higher weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) and A Body Shape Index (ABSI) were associated with greater odds of low DSST performance (WWI: odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-1.46, p=0.011, q=0.045; ABSI: OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07-1.43, p=0.009, q=0.045). Associations with other cognitive domains were weaker and did not remain significant under the broader 32-test correction.  Conclusions: WWI and ABSI showed modest, domain-specific associations with test-defined low processing-speed performance. The findings are hypothesis-generating and require longitudinal and external validation.
SN  - 2279-9028
SN  - 2279-9036
ER  -