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Self‐reported functional ability predicts three‐year mobility and mortality in community‐dwelling older persons
Author(s) -
Kawamoto Ryuichi,
Doi Takaaki
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1046/j.1444-1586.2002.00024.x
Subject(s) - activities of daily living , marital status , gerontology , medicine , feeling , happiness , social support , demography , psychology , physical therapy , population , environmental health , social psychology , sociology , psychotherapist
Background: A comprehensive evaluation of the functions of community‐dwelling older persons was conducted in 1988. Three years after the 1988 study commenced, the relationship between these background factors and changes during the subsequent 3 years were examined. Methods: The study was a comprehensive evaluation of the daily functions of community‐dwelling elderly people, and encompassed age, gender, mode of living, marital status, financial status, family relationships, basic activities of daily living, visual and hearing impairment, a history of disease, self‐related feeling, social role, social support, habits and physical exercise and the relationship between independence and survival for 3 years after the basic study. The subjects were 2274 community‐dwelling elderly people who participated in the first survey in July 1998 and who were aged 65 years and over at that time. Unassisted questionnaire sheets were used for the first survey and changes since the first survey. Results: Thirty men and 60 women died during the 3 year period. Data were also gathered about the daily activity levels of 1709 persons (75.2%) with 1499 (87.7%) ranking J for independence and 210 persons (12.3%) ranking A to C for dependence. Age, gender, basic activities of daily living (BADL), history of falls, self‐related happiness, participation in community events and physical‐exercise habits were found to be explanatory variables for independence after three years; as were age, gender, and BADL for survival. Conclusion: The explanatory variables relating to independence and prognosis of life of the elderly obtained in this study will be important in future considerations of the issue of care‐taking and measures to enable it.