Cognitive impairment is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. Dietary factors have an important role in cognitive dysfunction. Soy has many benefits, and consumption of soy-based foods is general in East Asian countries. In this study, we want to investigate the association between cognitive function decline and soy-based food intake among the elderly in Taiwan. This cross-sectional study was based on data obtained from the 2005-2008 Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT). Subjects aged less than 65 y or with missing data were excluded. There was a total of 1,105 participants aged 65 and over who completed Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ). Eighty-five-point-six percent of participants consumed soy-based foods every day. After adjustment for potential variables, the logistic regression model showed significant associations for age, gender, education, soy-based foods intake and physical component summary (PCS). Age and female gender were both positively correlated with cognitive impairment (odds ratios: 1.1 and 4.43, respectively). Furthermore, there were negative correlations for education, soy-based foods intake and PCS (odds ratios: 0.25, 0.45 and 0.97, respectively). In this study, we found that soy-based foods were negatively associated with cognitive function decline among Taiwanese elderly. This result may be used as a reference for dietary advice for the elderly.
Keywords: Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire; cognitive impairment; cross-sectional; elderly; soy-based foods.