Subjective memory complaints in Latin American older adults: Prevalence and risk factors

Background: Subjective memory complaints (SMC) are linked to an increased risk of neurocognitive disorders (NCD). Objective: To estimate the prevalence of SMC and their association with sociodemographic and clinical factors in 3285 older adults (OA) from ten Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Method: This population-based analysis used secondary data from an international multicenter study on NCD prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cognitively healthy participants were identified based on clinical criteria, cognitive assessments, and expert consensus. Participants were categorized as with (WSMC; n = 602) or without SMC (NSMC; n = 2683). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were recorded. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment–Short Version (MoCA-T), depressive symptoms with the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and functional decline with the Eight-Item Informant Interview (AD8). Mean difference analyses and logistic regressions were performed. Results: The regional prevalence of SMC was 18.33%, ranging from 11.59% in Guatemala to 26.30% in Peru. OA with SMC showed lower education, poorer cognitive performance, and higher rates of anxiety, falls, and fractures. Regression models revealed significant associations between SMC and lower education (p < 0.001), emotional distress (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.024), anxiety (p = 0.017), infrequent and occasional falls (p = 0.017; p = 0.002), and fractures (p = 0.028). Conclusions: SMC are prevalent among LAC older adults and are associated with multiple risk factors, highlighting their public health relevance and potential as early indicators of NCD risk.