Accuracy of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in the Rural African Population

Abstract Objective The incidence of dementia in the sub-Saharan Africa is rising. However, screening tools for cognitive decline that fits their linguistic and cultural context are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Kiswahili version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MoCA) to detect mild cognitive impairment or dementia among older adults in the rural Tanzania. Methods We recruited 259 community-dwelling older adults in Chamwino district, Tanzania. The concurrent validity and discriminatory power of K-MoCA were examined by comparing its score with IDEA cognitive screening and psychiatrist’s diagnosis using DSM-V, respectively. All the questionnaires were administered in face-to-face interview. Results K-MoCA demonstrated acceptable reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.780). Concurrent validity was evident by its significant correlation with the IDEA screening test (Pearson’s r = 0.651, p