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Explaining Disability Trends in the U.S. Elderly and Near-Elderly Population.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Chen, Y; Sloan, FA
Published in: Health services research
October 2015

To examine disability trends among U.S. near-elderly and elderly persons and explain observed trends.1996-2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study.We first examined trends in Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living limitations, and large muscle, mobility, gross motor, and fine motor indexes. Then we used decomposition analysis to estimate contributions of changes in sociodemographic composition, self-reported chronic disease prevalence and health behaviors, and changes in disabling effects of these factors to disability changes between 1996 and 2010.Disability generally increased or was unchanged. Increased trends were more apparent for near-elderly than elderly persons. Sociodemographic shifts tended to reduce disability, but their favorable effects were largely offset by increased self-reported chronic disease prevalence. Changes in smoking and heavy drinking prevalence had relatively minor effects on disability trends. Increased obesity rates generated sizable effects on lower-body functioning changes. Disabling effects of self-reported chronic diseases often declined, and educational attainment became a stronger influence in preventing disability.Such unfavorable trends as increased chronic disease prevalence and higher obesity rates offset or outweighed the favorable effects with the result that disability remained unchanged or increased.

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Published In

Health services research

DOI

EISSN

1475-6773

ISSN

0017-9124

Publication Date

October 2015

Volume

50

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1528 / 1549

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Smoking
  • Sex Distribution
  • Prevalence
  • Obesity
  • Mobility Limitation
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
 

Citation

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Chen, Y., & Sloan, F. A. (2015). Explaining Disability Trends in the U.S. Elderly and Near-Elderly Population. Health Services Research, 50(5), 1528–1549. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12284
Chen, Yiqun, and Frank A. Sloan. “Explaining Disability Trends in the U.S. Elderly and Near-Elderly Population.Health Services Research 50, no. 5 (October 2015): 1528–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12284.
Chen Y, Sloan FA. Explaining Disability Trends in the U.S. Elderly and Near-Elderly Population. Health services research. 2015 Oct;50(5):1528–49.
Chen, Yiqun, and Frank A. Sloan. “Explaining Disability Trends in the U.S. Elderly and Near-Elderly Population.Health Services Research, vol. 50, no. 5, Oct. 2015, pp. 1528–49. Epmc, doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12284.
Chen Y, Sloan FA. Explaining Disability Trends in the U.S. Elderly and Near-Elderly Population. Health services research. 2015 Oct;50(5):1528–1549.
Journal cover image

Published In

Health services research

DOI

EISSN

1475-6773

ISSN

0017-9124

Publication Date

October 2015

Volume

50

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1528 / 1549

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Smoking
  • Sex Distribution
  • Prevalence
  • Obesity
  • Mobility Limitation
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans