cognition. cognition questions do you have difficulty remembering or concentrating? split...

COGNITION

Cognition Questions

Do you have difficulty remembering or concentrating?

Split Interviews:How often do you have difficulty remembering important

things?

Thinking about the last time you had difficulty remembering important things, how much difficulty did you have?

Cognition Questions

Split Interviews:Do you have difficulty remembering a few things, a

lot of things, or almost everything?

How much difficulty did you have in concentrating on doing something for ten minutes?

Cognition FindingsRemembering or concentrating• No one had difficulty providing an answer.

• Most thought of remembering only or of both remembering and concentrating when answering this question; only a few thought only of concentration.

• Rs considered a variety of day-to-day items:Examples: telephone numbers, names, a word, chores, taking medicine, birthdays, dates, misplacing items, appointments, pin numbers.

• Serious and minor examples formed the basis for responses

Cognition Findings

R remembering important things• Varied understand of “important things”

• From the trivial (forgetting to brush teeth) to the more serious (forgetting where one lives) and everything in between.

• Some respondents directly asked what was meant by important (“Would that be your wife’s birthday?”).

Cognition Findings

The last time… how much difficulty• Little cognitive interview data

• Many Rs experienced difficulty with the question. – Couldn’t answer– Needed it repeated– Though it was no different from the previous

question– Asked what was meant by “important things”

Cognition Findings

Difficulty remembering a few things, a lot of things, or almost everything

• Little cognitive interview data, especially relating why Rs answered the way they did

• Examples given were similar to previous questions: needing a grocery list, remembering appointments, chores, or names, or misplacing an item.

Cognition FindingsDoing something for 10 minutes• Intent of question primarily not understood by Rs

• Many respondents said “it depends” based on: Desirability of the taskComplexity of the taskFamiliarity of the taskNumber of distractions present while doing the task

• Some Rs overly focused on 10 minutes– Thinking “if a task only takes 10 minutes to accomplish, it must not

be a very difficult task,” then answering ‘none’ – Thinking “10 minutes isn’t enough time to accomplish almost

anything,” then answering ‘severe.’

Summary of Cognition Findings

Revisions for Field Test Questionnaire

Cognition Field Test

Do you have difficulty remembering or concentrating?

Do you have difficulty remembering, concentrating, or both?

How often do you have difficulty remembering?

Do you have difficulty remembering a few things, a lot of things, or almost everything?

Cognition Field TestPlease tell me which of the following statements, if any, describe your difficulty remembering:

I forget things because I am busy and have too much to remember.My difficulty is getting worse.My difficulty has put me or my family in danger.I only forget little or inconsequential things.I must write down important things, such as my address or when to take medicine, so that I do not forget.My family members or friends are worried about my difficulty remembering.My difficulty is normal for someone my age.

Maldives• COG_SS Do you have difficulty remembering or

concentrating?• enumerators had to repeat the question to Rs.• Some times forget about school lessons • Forgets to tell the same way as what somebody else has told• Remember things can be remembered but some things wont • when someone talks to him he will think about it a lot. But

couldn’t express or tell anything • sometimes forgets things. But not so much • Some times a lot ??????

231

5919

510

143

51

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

No difficulty Some difficulty A lot of difficulty

Num

ber

COG_SS Do you have difficulty remembering or concentrating?

Male

Female

None said Cannot do at all / Unable

to do

• COG_1 Do you have difficulty remembering, concentrating, or both?

• Suggestion• No need of previous question

• Rs Comments – Repeat question– She asked what do you mean by concentration? Is it

not giving concentration when people speaking?

COG_SS: Sometimes a lot ????

56

319

0

157

6

30

10

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Difficulty remembering only

Difficulty concentrating only

Difficulty with both remembering and

concentrating

Don’t know

Num

ber

Male

Female

COG_1 Do you have difficulty remembering, concentrating, or both?

• COG_2 How often do you have difficulty remembering?

• Rs Comments – Forget things due to the job involved – When cooking sometime put tea leaves instead of

salt – Forgets to attend parent teacher meetings. Feels

concerned about her children's studies– Few times

54

12 90

130

45

121

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Sometimes Often All of the time Don’t know

Num

ber

Male

Female

COG_2 How often do you have difficulty remembering?

• COG_3 Do you have difficulty remembering a few things, a lot of things, or almost everything?

• Rs Comments – She said when she is busy she forgets easily– Cannot remember what she learns

50

194

152

26

8

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

A few things A lot of things Almost everything

Num

ber

COG_3 Do you have difficulty remembering a few things, a lot of things, or almost everything?

Male

Female

Male Female Male Female Male Female

A. I forget things because I am busy and have too much to remember.

40 132 33 54 2 2

B. My difficulty is getting worse. 19 67 55 118 1 3

C. My difficulty has put me or my family in danger.

9 54 65 134 1 0

D. I only forget little or inconsequential things.

63 167 12 21 0 0

E. I must write down important things, such as my address or when to take medicine, so that I do not forget.

14 42 60 146 1 0

F. My family members or friends are worried about my difficulty remembering.

20 53 54 132 0 1

G. My difficulty is normal for someone my age.

38 117 35 56 2 15

P_COG_3 Please tell me which of the following statements, if any, describe your difficulty remembering:

1. Yes 2. No 9 Don’t Know

11

6

2 2

20

4 5 6

0

5

10

15

20

25

A little A lot Somewhere in between a

little and a lot

Don’t Know

Nu

mb

er

Cog 4: How much difficulty do you have concentrating for ten minutes?

Male

Female

Total 56Male 21Female 35

• Rs comments• Can give concentration for few mins• No difficulty to concentrate for 10 mins • Not difficult for 10 mins • Its not difficult to concentrate on something for 10 mins

Suggestion-Need to rephrase question

31

12 13

8

2

64 3 3

13 2 1 1

13

13

6

12

20

10 10

29

15 16

52 2

68

46

05

101520253035404550

Less

than

1 y

ear

1-4

5-9

10-1

4

15-1

9

20-2

4

25-2

9

30-3

4

35-3

9

40-4

4

45-4

9

50-5

4

55-5

9

60-6

4

65+

Don

’t Kn

ow

Num

ber

Age Group

COG _6 How old were you when the difficulty remembering or concentrating began?

Male

Female

42

24

10

0 1

84 85

21

1 10

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Not at all A little A lot Completely Don't know

num

ber

COG_7 How much does your difficulty remembering or concentrating limit your ability to carry out daily

activities?

Male

Female

Rs Comments • Cannot do any work alone • Repeat the question • The things which is interesting can remember • Always had to note down her activities. Also

keeps alarm • Difficult to give concentration to school work

and sometimes doing house work

P_COG_7 Which of the following activities, if any, are you unable to do, or find it hard to do, because of your difficulty

remembering or concentrating?

Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

A.Working to support you or your family? 10 46 31 116 35 32 0 0

B.Working outside the home to earn an income? 10 12 23 74 43 107 0 1

C.Going to school or achieving your education goals? 23 19 13 28 41 146 0 1

D.Participating in leisure or social activities? 15 25 57 151 4 17 1 1

E.Getting out with friends or family? 8 20 68 171 1 2 0 1

F.Doing household chores such as cooking and cleaning? 12 59 48 128 16 6 0 1

G.Using transportation to get to places you want to go? 15 23 61 169 1 2 0 0

H.Participating in religious activities? 11 26 66 168 0 0 0 0

I.Participating in community gatherings? 17 25 59 145 1 22 0 1

1. Yes 2. No 8. Not applicable 9. Don’t know

Every time repeating these questions people got angry and later didn’t pay much attention and had to force them to answer.