Associated factors for cognition of physically independent elderly people living in residential care facilities for the aged in Sri Lanka

Table 2 Associations between MMSE score and selected variables

Factor	All elderly	p	Female	p	Male	p
Factor	Mean (SD)	p	Mean (SD)	p	Mean (SD)	p
Educational status
Primary and lower secondary education	21.3 ± 4.6	< 0.001	21.2 ± 4.6	< 0.001	21.6 ± 4.6	< 0.001
Upper secondary, Advanced level and higher education	25.4 ± 4.3	< 0.001	25.4 ± 4.6	< 0.001	25.3 ± 3.9	< 0.001
Visits by family members
Visited	24.0 ± 4.5	< 0.001	23.9 ± 4.6	< 0.001	24.4 ± 4.3	< 0.001
Did not visit	21.4 ± 5.1		21.3 ± 5.2		21.6 ± 4.8	< 0.001
Reason to arrive to the facility
By their own free will	23.9 ± 4.8	0.002	24.1 ± 4.8	0.001	23.6 ± 4.9	0.45
Compelled to come	22.4 ± 4.9	0.002	22.1 ± 5.0	0.001	22.9 ± 4.6	0.45
Engagement in solitary leisure activities
Engage	23.5 ± 4.8	< 0.001	23.5 ± 4.8	< 0.001	23.6 ± 4.7	0.001
Do not engage	18.8 ± 3.9	< 0.001	18.2 ± 4.1	< 0.001	19.9 ± 3.4	0.001
Social activity participation
Engage	23.6 ± 4.7	< 0.001	23.6 ± 4.8	< 0.001	23.8 ± 4.5	< 0.001
Do not engage	19.5 ± 4.4	< 0.001	19.4 ± 4.5	< 0.001	19.6 ± 4.3	< 0.001
Marital status
Married	24.8 ± 4.6	< 0.001	24.7 ± 4.6	< 0.001	24.8 ± 4.6	0.005
Unmarried	22.1 ± 4.9		22.1 ± 5.1		21.9 ± 4.5
Divorced/Separated/Widowed	22.1 ± 4.7		21.8 ± 4.8		22.9 ± 4.4
Physical activity level
Inactive	17.0 ± 2.5	< 0.001	17.1 ± 2.6	< 0.001	16.8 ± 2.3	< 0.001
Minimally active	23.6 ± 4.2		23.3 ± 4.4		24.1 ± 3.9
Health enhancing physical activity	27.5 ± 2.3		27.8 ± 1.8		26.7 ± 3.1

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