Summary:
Mold is common in Chinese homes because many regions have warm, humid climates, and surveys show that around one in ten households experience dampness or mold. Older adults spend much of their time indoors, and age‑related sensory decline makes hidden mold harder for them to notice. Musty odors, however, are detectable even when mold is not visible, making them a practical indicator of indoor contamination. Cognitive impairment is widespread among older Chinese adults and involves memory loss, slower thinking and reduced independence. Although nutrition, physical function and environmental exposures have been linked to cognitive decline, the role of indoor mold remains unclear. Experimental evidence suggests mycotoxins can affect the nervous system, and mold exposure is already associated with respiratory illness, but its relationship with cognitive outcomes has not been established. This study, a cross‑sectional observational analysis, examined whether musty odor, used as an indicator for indoor mold, was associated with cognitive impairment among 11,888 older adults. Musty odors were linked to a 40% higher likelihood of cognitive impairment, and this association was consistent across demographic groups. These findings suggest that indoor biological pollutants may contribute to cognitive decline and highlight the importance of improving indoor environments for aging populations.
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Abstract:
Indoor pollution has been a growing concern, especially about its potential effects on human health. Musty odors are a good indicator of indoor mold contamination and have been shown to be associated with numerous diseases, but their association with cognitive function in older adults is unclear. The study’s data came from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. The self-reported indoor musty odors were adopted as the independent variable. The cognitive impairment was included as the dependent variable using the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. We employed logistic regression analyses to study the association between indoor musty odors and cognitive impairment. Additionally, stratified and interaction analyses were conducted to explore potential modifiers of this association. A total of 11,888 older adults (median age = 82.00 years) were included in this study. The study indicated that indoor musty odors were significantly associated with cognitive impairments (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.25, 1.57). In the stratified and interaction analysis, there was no significant modification effect existed for the indoor musty odors and cognitive impairment in the study subgroups. And the associations were robust in the sensitivity analyses. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential health risks associated with indoor musty odors and cognitive impairment among older adults. It also suggests the importance of concerns about indoor environment on older adults’ health, especially with regard to biological pollutants.
Article Publication Date: 30/08/2025
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-12000-y
