ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Digit. Health
Sec. Human Factors and Digital Health
This article is part of the Research TopicCognitive Aging and Decision-Making: Evaluating Real-World MeasuresView all 6 articles
Mapping Cognitive Diversity in Older Adults through Community-Based Digital Screening via Mobile Devices: A Cross-Sectional Latent Class Analysis
Provisionally accepted
Suguru Shimokihara1,2,3*
Kazuki Yokoyama3
Keitaro Makino4
Nozomu Ikeda3
Kiyoji Matsuyama5
Tomonori Kashiwagi3Chiaki Kawanishi3Hikaru Ihira3- 1Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- 2Kagoshima Daigaku, Kagoshima, Japan
- 3Sapporo Ika Daigaku, Sapporo, Japan
- 4Hokkaido Daigaku, Sapporo, Japan
- 5Ebetsu Shiritsu Byoin, Ebetsu, Japan
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Introduction: Early detection of objective cognitive impairment is essential to delay or prevent dementia; however, traditional in-person screening often faces practical barriers, including limited accessibility and substantial personnel demands. Web-based cognitive tools are promising for scalable screening. This study aimed to identify cognitive subgroups among community-dwelling older adults using latent class analysis (LCA) based on data collected through a freely accessible web-based cognitive screening platform that enables convenient participation anytime and anywhere using older adults' own mobile devices. Methods: Between September and December 2024, adults aged ≥65 from Sapporo and Ebetsu, Japan, were recruited via newspaper insert flyers (92,290 households) and community posters. QR codes linked to the study website were optimized for various devices. After obtaining electronic consent, participants completed web-based demographic surveys and cognitive assessments of memory, attention, and processing speed. Subjective health and memory complaints were recorded. LCA identified cognitive subgroups based on performance, complaints, and sociodemographic factors. Results: Among the 528 participants (mean age = 71.2; 57% female), most reported good health (86%) and daily conversations (92%). Cognitive function was generally preserved. LCA revealed four clusters: socially isolated females with high subjective memory complaints (SMCs); cohabiting males with high SMCs; cohabiting females with high health perception and preserved cognition; and older adults with cognitive decline. Discussion: The combination of mass outreach and web-based screening is feasible and effective in identifying diverse cognitive profiles. These findings highlight the mismatch between subjective and objective cognition and the relationship between social context, supporting scalable, tailored approaches and cognitive health.
Keywords: cognitive impairment, Web-based screening, latent class analysis, Dementia, Subjective memory complaints
Received: 06 Oct 2025; Accepted: 10 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Shimokihara, Yokoyama, Makino, Ikeda, Matsuyama, Kashiwagi, Kawanishi and Ihira. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Suguru Shimokihara, shimokihara@nagasaki-u.ac.jp
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