RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: there is evidence of a relationship between physical and cognitive activity and the development of dementia, although this hypothesis has not been tested in Mexican population. OBJECTIVE: analyze the association between an increased participation in physical and cognitive activities and the probability of having dementia, using a Mexican open population sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS: we made a cross sectional survey in open Mexican population of residents in urban and rural areas of 65 of age and older; we performed cognitive assessments to identify subjects with dementia, as well as questionnaires to assess the level of participation in physical and cognitive activities. We performed a binary logistic regression analysis to establish the association between participation and the probability of having dementia. RESULTS: we included 2003 subjects, 180 with diagnosis of dementia. Subjects with dementia were older, had less education and higher prevalence of some chronic diseases. The low participation in cognitive activities was associated with a higher probability of developing dementia. Patients with dementia had significantly lower scores on physical activity scales. CONCLUSIONS: this study supports the hypothesis of a relationship between low cognitive and physical activity and the presentation of dementia.