Delirium Severity and Physical Function in Hospitalized Persons Living with Dementia: Moderation by Age, Sex, and Race

Objective: This study investigated whether demographic characteristics (age, sex, and race) moderated delirium severity as a predictor of physical function in hospitalized persons living with dementia. Methods: The sample consisted of 351 patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (Function Focused Care for Acute Care Using the Evidence Integration Triangle). Preliminary analysis was conducted to assess the main effect, and multiple linear regression was used to examine the moderating effect of demographic characteristics between delirium severity and physical function. Results: Both age and sex were found to have significant moderating effects on the relationship between delirium severity and physical function (β = 2.22; P = 0.02 and β = 1.34; P = 0.04, respectively). Older adults aged 85 years or older with higher levels of delirium severity reported lower levels of physical function compared with older adults aged 65 to 84 years. Males with higher levels of delirium severity reported lower levels of physical function compared with females. Race did not significantly moderate the association between delirium severity and physical function (β = 0.22; P = 0.90). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that age and sex may have differential effects on physical function across different levels of delirium severity in hospitalized persons living with dementia.