Table 3.
Comparisons of cognitive function measures across different BMI groupsa
| Characteristic | Underweight (n = 57) | Normal weight (n = 358) | Overweight (n = 319) | Obese (n = 162) | F | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAIS-R Digit Symbol |
47.5 ± 15.8 |
48.3 ± 14.1 |
46.6 ± 12.8 |
44.0 ± 13.2 |
3.922 |
0.009b |
| Trail Making Test A |
56.6 ± 23.7 |
52.5 ± 24.3 |
54.9 ± 29.5 |
55.6 ± 27.3 |
0.842 |
0.471 |
| Trail Making Test B |
112.3 ± 59.0 |
106.7 ± 54.6 |
114.4 ± 61.4 |
123.7 ± 55.5 |
2.784 |
0.040c |
| WCST Perseverative Errors |
40.4 ± 25.8 |
42.7 ± 24.7 |
42.9 ± 23.7 |
41.6 ± 26.5 |
0.241 |
0.868 |
| WCST Categories Completed |
2.7 ± 2.2 |
2.5 ± 2.1 |
2.6 ± 2.1 |
2.8 ± 2.2 |
0.491 |
0.688 |
| WAIS-R Digit Span |
12.0 ± 3.8 |
12.5 ± 3.5 |
12.3 ± 3.1 |
11.9 ± 3.0 |
1.606 |
0.186 |
| WMS-R Visual Reproduction |
8.9 ± 2.8 |
9.3 ± 3.0 |
8.6 ± 2.9 |
8.2 ± 3.5 |
5.921 |
0.001d |
| Composite z score | 0.10 ± 0.09 | 0.20 ± 0.03 | 0.10 ± 0.03 | 0.01 ± 0.05 | 4.365 | 0.005e |
a Asian BMI categories(kg/m2): underweight (< 18.5), normal weight(18.5-22.9), overweight (23–27.4) and obese (≥ 27.5); Data are presented as mean ± SD.
bnormal weight vs obese, P = 0.001; cnormal weight vs obese, P = 0.004; dnormal weight vs obese, P = 0.001;normal weight vs overweight, P = 0.012 e normal weight vs obese, P = 0.004;
Abbreviation: WAIS, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised; WCST, Computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test; WMS-R, Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised; BMI, Body mass index.