Publication
Title
Disability transitions in Dutch community-dwelling older people aged 75 years or older
Author
Abstract
Background: Recent world population predictions show that the world population aged >=65 years will increase from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050. Population aging is accompanied by an increase in people with disability. It is important to pay special attention to people with disability, as these people are at high risk of adverse outcomes. Our study aimed to investigate the transitions of disability among Dutch community-dwelling older people aged 75 years or older, using a follow-up of nine years. We used socio-demographic factors gender, age, marital status, education, and income, but also lifestyle, diseases, and life events to predict the disability transitions over time.Methods: We used a sample of 484 people that was randomly drawn from the municipality of Roosendaal (the Netherlands), a municipality with 78,000 inhabitants. A subset of people who completed part A of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) at baseline and the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS) questionnaires was used with a nine-year follow-up. Paired Wilcoxon tests were used to compare the consecutive measurements. Socio-demographic factors gender, age, marital status, education, and income, but also lifestyle, diseases, and life events were included to predict the disability transitions over time. For the univariable and multivariable analysis of the measurements over time with the predictor variables, we used generalized estimation equations (GEE). A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. R version 3.4.4 was used for all analyses.Results: Of the participants, 65% were younger than 80 years, 50% were married or cohabiting, 87% reported a healthy lifestyle, and 63% had no diseases or chronic disorders. Each year, more participants changed from status not disabled to disabled than vice versa. The GEE analyses showed that lifestyle ('not healthy') and diseases or chronic disorders ('two or more') were significant in the multivariable analysis for the disability score and only diseases or chronic disorders ('two or more') was significant in the multivariable analysis for the dichotomous disability score.Conclusions: The transition of the disability score is strongly influenced by lifestyle and diseases or disorders. This applies to a lesser extent to the dichotomous disability score. There, only diseases or disorders are an important predictor. For health care professionals our study provides starting points for interventions focused on the prevention of worsening disability and for community-dwelling older people >= 75, the most important recommendation is: live healthy!
Language
English
Source (journal)
Archives of gerontology and geriatrics. - Amsterdam
Publication
Amsterdam : 2024
ISSN
0167-4943
DOI
10.1016/J.ARCHGER.2023.105165
Volume/pages
116 (2024) , p. 1-10
Article Reference
105165
ISI
001069016100001
Pubmed ID
37639841
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 30.10.2023
Last edited 10.03.2024
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