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Saeed M Omar,1 Afnan A Alwabili,2 Eman Abdullah Alotaibi,3 Ishag Adam4 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Gadarif, Gadarif, Sudan; 2Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Qassim, 52389, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Eman Abdullah Alotaibi, Email e.alotaibi@qu.edu.saBackground: Cognitive impairment is a major global public health challenge; however, data from sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Sudan, remain scarce. This study investigated the prevalence of cognitive impairment and the factors associated with it among adults in East Gezira, central Sudan.Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2025. Using multistage stratified random sampling, 336 adults aged ≥ 18 years were recruited. Cognitive status was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), with a score of < 26 indicating cognitive impairment. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scales, respectively. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to identify independent factors associated with cognitive impairment.Results: Of the 336 adults, 227 (67.6%) were men and 109 (32.4%) were women. Their median (interquartile range) age and body mass index were 42.0 (30.0‒55.0) years and 22.6 (19.3‒27.0) kg/m2, respectively. The overall prevalence of cognitive impairment (MoCA score < 26) was 73.5%. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe cognitive impairment was 51.5%, 21.7%, and 0.3%, respectively. In multivariate binary analysis, factors independently associated with cognitive impairment were older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.004– 1.05), low education level (AOR: 5.22; 95% ... |