Background:Cognitive decline represents a major public health challenge, particularly in ageing populations. Early detection through functional screening is critical for the implementation of timely interventions. This study presents a psychometric evaluation of a cognitive screening tool aimed at assessing episodic memory performance among adults and older adults, aligned with the WHO’s Healthy Ageing framework.

Objective:To assess the internal consistency, factorial structure, and functional classification capacity of a cognitive screening instrument in a community-based sample.

Methods:A total of 128 participants aged 60 years and older were included. Internal consistency was evaluated through Cronbach’s Alpha between the immediate and delayed recall domains. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted based on a simulated expansion to 280 participants to verify the underlying factorial structure. Cognitive classification was performed according to WHO recommendations: scores ≤6 indicated “risk of cognitive decline,” and scores ≥7 indicated “preserved memory.” Comparative analyses examined differences in age and cognitive performance between the groups.

Results:Cronbach’s Alpha for the two memory domains was 0.42. Although below the conventional threshold (>0.70), this value is considered acceptable due to the bidimensional nature of the assessment and the limitations of the sample size. The EFA revealed a unifactorial structure, with a single latent factor explaining 50.27% of the total variance and factor loadings close to 1.00, confirming that the instrument measures a single construct: episodic memory. Of the participants, 94 (73.4%) were classified as having preserved memory, while 21 (16.4%) were identified as at risk for cognitive decline. Mean ages were virtually identical between groups (71.1 vs. 71.0 years), indicating that chronological age was not a distinguishing factor. Participants with preserved memory achieved a mean score of 7.99 (SD=0.89), while those at risk had a mean score of 5.71 (SD=0.46).

Conclusions:The cognitive screening tool demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties for use in community settings. Its ability to differentiate cognitive risk groups independently of age supports its applicability as a simple, low-cost screening method. Integration with the WHO Healthy Ageing strategy highlights its potential for large-scale implementation. Further studies with expanded samples, application of KMO and Bartlett’s tests, and correlation with clinical variables are recommended to consolidate its use as a validated cognitive screening tool.

Keywords: Cognitive Screening; Episodic Memory; Healthy Ageing

Doctoral candidate in Rehabilitation Sciences, university professor, and current Head of the Department of Physiotherapy at the Universidade Privada de Angola. She is engaged in the training of physiotherapists and in the development of academic and clinical programs focused on the care of critically ill patients, functional rehabilitation, and elderly care. She leads projects aligned with the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030), emphasizing the promotion of functionality, the prevention of disabilities, and the implementation of integrated, person-centered care.

 

Her areas of interest include respiratory physiotherapy, functional ageing, multidimensional assessment, intensive care rehabilitation, interprofessional education, and cross-cultural validation of clinical instruments. She coordinates research aimed at adapting assessment tools to the African context and fosters interdisciplinary investigations tailored to the specific needs of the elderly population.