Prevalence and spectrum of functional disability of urban elderly subjects: A community-based study from Central India.

INTRODUCTION: One of the major determinants of the quality of life of elderly subjects is their functional status, which refers to their ability to perform normal daily activities. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of functional disability in terms of restriction in the activities of daily livings (ADLs) in elderly subjects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban area of Varanasi, India, with 616 elderly subjects (60 years and above) selected for the study by an appropriate sampling procedure. A predesigned and pretested questionnaire was used to elicit the desired information after taking consent from the study subjects. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 21st version) was used for analysis; Chi-square test and z-test were used to test for statistical significance.

RESULTS: Prevalence of functional disability in elderly subjects was 53.6% (95% confidence interval: 49.67-57.5%). Restriction of any ADL with maximum severity was observed in 13.5% of the subjects. Independence in ADLs was maximum (100%) for bowel continence and lowest for climbing stairs (47.4%). On the basis of Barthel Index score, 25.2% and 4.4% of the subjects had moderate and severe dependency, respectively. In comparison to mobility restriction, the proportion of subjects whose ADLs were not affected was significantly ( P < 0.01) more in the self-care domain.

CONCLUSION: Nearly half of the elderly subjects were functionally disabled on the basis of ADL performance. The number of persons of this age group in the domain of restricted mobility is quite high. It is necessary and also possible to design and implement programs that will involve all persons concerned with their care to improve the functional status of the geriatric population.