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Caregiving for Older Adults with Obesity in the United States
Author(s) -
Ankuda Claire K.,
Harris John,
Ornstein Katherine,
Levine Deborah A.,
Langa Kenneth M.,
Kelley Amy S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.14918
Subject(s) - medicine , gerontology , body mass index , confidence interval , odds ratio , overweight , toileting , obesity , activities of daily living , demography , national health interview survey , health and retirement study , odds , physical therapy , logistic regression , population , environmental health , sociology
Objectives To determine the difference in receipt of activity of daily living ( ADL ) assistance between obese and normal‐weight older adults. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting National Health and Aging Trends Study, 2011–2015. Participants U.S. adults aged 65 and older with ADL disability and a body mass index ( BMI ) of 18.5 kg/m 2 or greater (N = 5,612) Measurements BMI was classified as normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m 2 ), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m 2 ), or obese (≥30.0 kg/m 2 ). Primary outcome was self‐reported receipt of help with specific ADL s. Models were adjusted for demographic characteristics (age, sex, race), degree of need (self‐reported general health, severity of disability), household resources (income, marriage, people in household, number of children), and cognitive status (dementia, proxy respondent). Results Obese with disabilities had lower rates of receiving assistance with walking inside (odds ratio ( OR ) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval ( CI ) = 0.50–0.81), walking outside ( OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.59–0.97), toileting ( OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.52–0.89), and getting in and out of bed ( OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.50–0.87) than normal‐weight older adults after adjustment for respondent demographic characteristics. Level of need and cognitive status partially explained the associations. In fully adjusted models, older adults with obesity still had significantly lower odds of receiving assistance in getting in and out of bed than normal weight adults ( OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.49–0.98). Conclusion Older adults with obesity are less likely to receive assistance for ADL disabilities than their normal‐weight counterparts—an important concern because of ongoing demographic changes in the United States.