A Prevalence Study of the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Dependency among the Elderly in Four Districts in Selangor, Malaysia

Similar to many other developing countries worldwide, Malaysia is currently experiencing a demographic transition towards an ageing population. This situation leads to an increasing number of disabled individuals in the population. The present study investigated the epidemiology of activities of daily living (ADL) dependency among the elderly in one of the highest urbanized state in Malaysia i.e. the state of Selangor. Objective: To determine the prevalence of ADL dependency (which also reflects disability) among the elderly population in Selangor and its associated factors. Methodology: This is a clinic-based, cross sectional-study done in four urban and rural districts in Selangor. One hundred and seventy five (175) subjects aged 60 years and above were selected. They were administered the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) to assess self-reported ADL dependency. The Elderly Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire (ECAQ) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used as screening tools. Result: A total of 175 elderly subjects enrolled. The majority of the respondents were Malays and Muslims (60%). Prevalence of mild dependency was 14.9%; moderate dependency was 9.1%; severe and total dependency was at 1.1 % each. Based on the multivariable analysis: those who have more than one chronic disease have significantly lower odds to be dependent (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 0.09, 95% CI 0.030.34) while those with high social support, have significantly higher odds to be dependent (AOR: 7.65, 95% CI 1.60-36.57). Conclusion: Elderly having more than one chronic disease seems to protect against being dependent. Whereas, good social support from friends is associated with higher risk towards dependency.