Association of a modified body shape index with cognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults: a cross-sectional analysis from CHARLS.
Guotao Liu1, Qiong Xu1, Suhua Zhang1
1Department of Health Care, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
Frontiers in Nutrition
|June 19, 2025
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
Elevated A Body Shape Index (ABSI) is linked to a higher risk of cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults. ABSI shows greater accuracy than BMI or waist circumference for predicting cognitive decline.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Anthropometry
Background:
- Cognitive impairment is a growing concern in aging populations worldwide.
- Traditional anthropometric measures like BMI and waist circumference have limitations in assessing health risks.
- A Body Shape Index (ABSI) is a newer index that may offer better insights into health risks associated with body composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and cognitive impairment.
- To evaluate ABSI's predictive value for cognitive decline in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.
- To compare the diagnostic accuracy of ABSI against Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) for cognitive impairment.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of baseline data from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) with 6,762 participants aged ≥45 years.
- Calculation of modified ABSI using waist circumference, BMI, and height.
- Assessment of cognitive function via episodic memory and cognitive status tests; cognitive impairment defined as a composite score ≤11.
- Multivariate logistic regression, fitted smoothing curves, subgroup analysis, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
Main Results:
- Each 0.01-unit increase in ABSI was associated with a 45.7% higher risk of cognitive impairment (OR=1.457).
- Participants in the highest ABSI quartile had a 48.3% higher risk of cognitive impairment compared to the lowest quartile (p for trend < 0.001).
- ABSI demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy (AUC=0.603) compared to BMI (AUC=0.570) and WC (AUC=0.548).
Conclusions:
- Elevated ABSI independently predicts cognitive impairment in Chinese middle-aged and older adults.
- ABSI shows better diagnostic accuracy for cognitive impairment than BMI and WC.
- ABSI is a valuable, cost-effective anthropometric tool for identifying cognitive risk in aging populations.
