Associations between novel anthropometric indices and cognitive function among U.S. older adults

Associations between novel anthropometric indices and cognitive function among U.S. older adults | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Associations between novel anthropometric indices and cognitive function among U.S. older adults Zhichun Tan, Hongmei Deng, Yaxin Nie, Ning Yan, Lixin Ai This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4806769/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Previous obesity indices have struggled to accurately account for the relationship between obesity and cognitive function, and the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between two novel anthropometric indices: A body size index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI), and cognitive function in an older population in the United States. Methods This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2012 and 2013–2014. To evaluate cognitive function, three cognitive assessments were employed: the Consortium for the Establishment of an Alzheimer's Disease Registry (CERAD) test, the Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Logistic regression analyses were further applied to investigate the association between ABSI/BRI and cognitive test scores, as well as with the odds of cognitive impairment (CI) prevalence, respectively. A smoothed fitting curve was also used to describe the nonlinear negative association between the above two novel anthropometric indices and cognitive function. Interaction tests and subgroup analyses were also performed. Results The study included 2639 older participants aged 60 years and older. After adjusting for confounding variables, our analyses revealed a statistically significant negative association between ABSI and BRI and cognitive function. Compared with individuals in the lowest quartile of the ABSI, individuals in the highest quartile had decreased CERAD scores (β = -0.69, 95% CI: -1.36, -0.03, p -value = 0.0401) and decreased DSST scores (β = -2.15, 95% CI: -3.58, -0.72, p -value = 0.0033). Individuals in the second quartile had decreased CERAD scores compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of BRI (β = -0.68, 95% CI: -1.35, -0.01, p -value = 0.0479). In addition, higher ABSI was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of CI, with an increased odds of CI prevalence in individuals in the highest quartile compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of ABSI (CERAD OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.24, p -value < 0.0458; DSST OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.33, p -value = 0.0093). Conclusions ABSI and BRI were strongly associated with cognitive decline among US. older adults. In addition, higher ABSI levels may be positively associated with the odds of CI prevalence. Cross-sectional study Body size index Body roundness index Cognitive function NHANES Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4806769","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":346119160,"identity":"5eb4118a-1f88-4cbf-b94e-a2c04ca0a5f0","order_by":0,"name":"Zhichun Tan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The affiliate university-town hospital, Chongqing medical University401331","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhichun","middleName":"","lastName":"Tan","suffix":""},{"id":346119161,"identity":"21e99c5e-2e9c-4ef7-90d8-53742c65f9c1","order_by":1,"name":"Hongmei Deng","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"The affiliate 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adults","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cross-sectional study, Body size index, Body roundness index, Cognitive function, NHANES","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4806769/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4806769/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious obesity indices have struggled to accurately account for the relationship between obesity and cognitive function, and the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between two novel anthropometric indices: A body size index (ABSI) and body roundness index (BRI), and cognitive function in an older population in the United States.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011\u0026ndash;2012 and 2013\u0026ndash;2014. To evaluate cognitive function, three cognitive assessments were employed: the Consortium for the Establishment of an Alzheimer's Disease Registry (CERAD) test, the Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Logistic regression analyses were further applied to investigate the association between ABSI/BRI and cognitive test scores, as well as with the odds of cognitive impairment (CI) prevalence, respectively. A smoothed fitting curve was also used to describe the nonlinear negative association between the above two novel anthropometric indices and cognitive function. Interaction tests and subgroup analyses were also performed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study included 2639 older participants aged 60 years and older. After adjusting for confounding variables, our analyses revealed a statistically significant negative association between ABSI and BRI and cognitive function. Compared with individuals in the lowest quartile of the ABSI, individuals in the highest quartile had decreased CERAD scores (β = -0.69, 95% CI: -1.36, -0.03, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0401) and decreased DSST scores (β = -2.15, 95% CI: -3.58, -0.72, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0033). Individuals in the second quartile had decreased CERAD scores compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of BRI (β = -0.68, 95% CI: -1.35, -0.01, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0479). In addition, higher ABSI was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of CI, with an increased odds of CI prevalence in individuals in the highest quartile compared to individuals in the lowest quartile of ABSI (CERAD OR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.50, 95% CI: 1.01, 2.24, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.0458; DSST OR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.68, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.33, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0093).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eABSI and BRI were strongly associated with cognitive decline among US. older adults. In addition, higher ABSI levels may be positively associated with the odds of CI prevalence.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Associations between novel anthropometric indices and cognitive function among U.S. older adults","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-08-29 20:15:25","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4806769/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"1eee7362-68bd-4d5f-9016-99b28c7ff127","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 29th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-07-03T11:23:54+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-08-29 20:15:25","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4806769","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4806769","identity":"rs-4806769","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}