以成人身高推論出生時期營養狀態對老年時期認知功能障礙的關聯性

The Association of Adult Height, a Surrogate Measure of Nutritional Status at Birth, and Late Life Cognition Function

目的：本研究以「健康與疾病發展起源假說」為基礎，以成人身高推論出生時期營養狀態，探討成人身高及其他風險因素與老年時期認知功能的關聯性。方法：我們以1999年台灣地區「中老年身心社會生活狀況長期追蹤調查」資料，使用邏輯斯回歸模型估計成人身高與老年時期認知功能的關聯性。結果：成人身高與老年時期認知功能障礙有顯著的負向關係。在以成人身高推論出生時期營養狀態的情況下，我們間接推論出生時期營養狀態對老年時期認知功能障礙有負向的影響。結論：政府相關單位未來制定或實施老人認知功能障礙或失智症防治政策時，或許能聯結出生時期營養狀態與老年時期健康狀態的各項介入措施，藉以減少老年時期認知功能障礙的風險。

Objectives. This study, based on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis, used adult height as a surrogate of the nutritional status at birth to bridge the association between the nutrition status around the time of birth together with other risk factors and the late life cognition function.
Methods. Data from the 1999 Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging were used to estimate the Logistic regression model to examine the association between adult height and late life cognition function.
Results. We identified a significant negative association between adult height and late life cognitive impairment. In addition, given that adult height is a surrogate of nutritional status at birth, the nutrition status around the time of birth might be assumed to negatively impact the late life cognitive function.
Conclusion. Policymakers might want to meld the interventions used in the care of the elderly with nutrition status around the time of birth in order to reduce the risk of the cognitive impairment.