Background
Methods
Sample and Procedure
Definition and measurement of physical disability and functional limitation
Socio-demographic and health related variables
Statistical Analysis
Ethics
Results
Characteristics of study participants
Variables | Men | Women | All | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | (%) | n | (%) | n | (%) | |
Age group | ||||||
60-64 | 111 | (38.8) | 174 | (36.3) | 285 | (37.2) |
65-69 | 73 | (25.5) | 99 | (20.7) | 172 | (22.5) |
70-74 | 54 | (18.9) | 105 | (21.9) | 159 | (20.8) |
≥ 75 | 48 | (16.8) | 101 | (21.0) | 149 | (19.5) |
Ethnic Group | ||||||
Malays | 205 | (71.7) | 376 | (78.5) | 581 | (76.0) |
Chinese | 43 | (15.0) | 66 | (13.8) | 109 | (14.2) |
Indians and Others | 38 | (13.3) | 37 | (7.7) | 75 | (9.8) |
Education level | ||||||
No formal education | 16 | (5.6) | 189 | (39.3) | 205 | (26.8) |
Primary education | 220 | (76.9) | 256 | (53.4) | 476 | (62.2) |
Secondary education | 43 | (15.0) | 28 | (5.9) | 71 | (9.3) |
Tertiary education | 7 | (2.5) | 6 | (1.2) | 13 | (1.7) |
Marital status | ||||||
Married | 252 | (88.1) | 232 | (48.4) | 484 | (63.3) |
Widowed | 33 | (11.5) | 240 | (50.1) | 273 | (35.7) |
Others (single and divorced) | 1 | (0.4) | 7 | (1.5) | 8 | (1.0) |
Living Arrangements | ||||||
Living alone | 12 | (4.2) | 75 | (15.7) | 87 | (11.4) |
Living with others | 274 | (95.8) | 404 | (84.3) | 678 | (88.6) |
Cognitive Assessment | ||||||
Normal | 265 | (92.7) | 394 | (82.3) | 659 | (86.1) |
Borderline cognitive impaired | 17 | (5.9) | 62 | (12.9) | 79 | (10.4) |
Probably cognitive impaired | 4 | (1.4) | 23 | (4.8) | 27 | (3.5) |
Social support | ||||||
At risk of isolation | 50 | (17.5) | 111 | (23.2) | 161 | (21.0) |
Not at risk of isolation | 236 | (82.5) | 368 | (76.8) | 604 | (79.0) |
Presence of chronic disease | ||||||
None | 100 | (35.0) | 149 | (31.1) | 249 | (32.5) |
One chronic disease | 152 | (53.1) | 264 | (55.1) | 416 | (54.4) |
More than one chronic disease | 34 | (11.9) | 66 | (13.8) | 100 | (13.1) |
Depressive Symptomology | ||||||
Yes | 58 | (20.3) | 116 | (24.2) | 174 | (22.7) |
No | 228 | (79.7) | 363 | (75.8) | 591 | (77.3) |
BMI (weight/height2) | ||||||
Normal (25.0-29.9) | 104 | (36.9) | 164 | (35.1) | 268 | (35.7) |
Underweight (≤ 24.9) | 138 | (48.9) | 195 | (41.8) | 333 | (44.5) |
Overweight (≥ 30.0) | 40 | (14.2) | 108 | (23.1) | 148 | (19.8) |
Prevalence of Physical disability and Functional limitation
Variables | N | 10 item ADL Dependence | 6 item ADL dependence | 5 item ADL dependence | Functional Limitation | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall
| |||||||||
≥ 60 | 738 | 24.7 | (21.6, 27.9) | 14.3 | (11.9, 17.1) | 10.6 | (8.5, 13.1) | 19.5 | (16.8, 22.5) |
≥ 65 | 458 | 37.3 | (32.9, 41.8) | 19.9 | (16.5, 23.9) | 15.6 | (12.6, 19.2) | 27.7 | (23.8, 31.9) |
≥ 70 | 288 | 44.8 | (39.2, 50.6) | 25.3 | (20.6, 30.7) | 19.8 | (15.6, 24.8) | 36.0 | (30.7, 41.7) |
≥ 75 | 139 | 49.6 | (41.1, 58.2) | 32.9 | (25.5, 41.2) | 24.5 | (17.8, 32.6) | 48.3 | (40.1, 56.6) |
Age group
| |||||||||
60-64 | 280 | 6.1 | (3.6, 9.5) | 4.9 | (2.8, 8.0) | 3.6 | (1.8, 6.7) | 5.6 | (3.4, 9.1) |
65-69 | 170 | 22.9 | (17.0, 30.1) | 10.5 | (6.5, 16.3) | 7.1 | (3.9, 12.3) | 12.8 | (8.4, 18.9) |
70-74 | 149 | 38.3 | (30.5, 46.6) | 18.4 | (12.8, 25.5) | 14.8 | (9.7, 21.7) | 24.5 | (18.2, 32.1) |
75 and over | 139 | 49.6 | (41.1, 58.2) | 32.9 | (25.5, 41.2) | 24.5 | (17.8, 32.6) | 48.3 | (40.1, 56.6) |
Male
| |||||||||
≥60 (overall) | 282 | 20.6 | (16.1, 25.9) | 12.2 | (8.8, 16.7) | 8.9 | (5.9, 13.0) | 14.7 | (10.9, 19.5) |
60-64 | 110 | 7.3 | (3.4, 14.3) | 5.4 | (2.2, 11.9) | 4.6 | (1.7, 10.8) | 4.5 | (1.7, 10.7) |
65-69 | 71 | 19.7 | (11.6, 31.2) | 13.7 | (7.1, 24.2) | 8.5 | (3.5, 18.1) | 13.7 | (7.1, 24.2) |
70-74 | 54 | 33.3 | (21.5, 47.6) | 16.7 | (8.4, 29.8) | 12.9 | (5.8, 25.5) | 18.5 | (9.7, 31.9) |
75 and over | 47 | 38.3 | (24.9, 53.6) | 20.8 | (11.0, 35.4) | 14.9 | (6.7, 28.9) | 35.4 | (22.6, 50.7) |
Female
| |||||||||
≥60 (overall) | 456 | 27.2 | (23.2, 31.6) | 15.6 | (12.5, 19.2) | 11.6 | (8.9, 15.0) | 22.3 | (18.7, 26.4) |
60-64 | 170 | 5.3 | (2.6, 10.1) | 4.7 | (2.2, 9.4) | 2.9 | (1.1, 7.9) | 6.3 | (3.4, 11.3) |
65-69 | 99 | 25.3 | (17.3, 35.2) | 8.1 | (3.8, 15.8) | 6.1 | (2.5, 13.2) | 12.1 | (6.7, 20.6) |
70-74 | 95 | 41.1 | (31.2, 51.6) | 19.2 | (12.4, 28.4) | 15.8 | (9.4, 25.0) | 27.6 | (19.6, 37.4) |
75 and over | 92 | 55.4 | (44.7, 65.7) | 38.8 | (29.3, 49.2) | 29.4 | (20.6, 39.3) | 54.5 | (44.3, 64.3) |
Socio-demographic and Health Correlates
Variables | Physical Disability present | Physical Disability absent | Unadjusted prevalence ratio | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | (%) | n | (%) | PR | (95% CI) | |
Age group | ||||||
60-64 | 17 | (6.1) | 263 | (93.9) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
65-69 | 39 | (22.9) | 131 | (77.1) | 3.3 | (2.7, 4.0) |
70-74 | 57 | (38.3) | 92 | (61.7) | 5.9 | (4.4, 8.1) |
≥75 | 69 | (49.6) | 70 | (50.4) | 10.8 | (7.1, 16.3) |
Sex | ||||||
Male | 58 | (20.6) | 224 | (79.4) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Female | 124 | (27.2) | 332 | (72.8) | 1.8 | (1.1, 3.0) |
Ethnic Group | ||||||
Malays | 135 | (24.3) | 420 | (75.7) | 1.00 | |
Chinese | 25 | (23.2) | 83 | (76.8) | 1.3 | (0.8, 2.1) |
Indians and Others | 22 | (29.3) | 53 | (70.7) | 1.4 | (0.7, 3.0) |
Education level | ||||||
Secondary and Tertiary education | 21 | (25.3) | 62 | (74.7) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Primary education | 93 | (19.8) | 376 | (80.2) | 2.0 | (1.3, 3.2) |
No formal education | 68 | (36.6) | 118 | (63.4) | 2.8 | (1.4, 5.7) |
Marital status | ||||||
Married | 112 | (23.8) | 359 | (76.2) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Widowed | 69 | (26.5) | 191 | (73.5) | 1.2 | (0.7, 1.9) |
Others (single and divorced) | 1 | (14.3) | 6 | (85.7) | 1.3 | (0.6, 2.6) |
Living Arrangements | ||||||
Living with others | 158 | (24.2) | 495 | (28.2) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Living alone | 24 | (28.2) | 61 | (71.8) | 1.2 | (0.8, 1.7) |
Social support | ||||||
Not at risk of isolation | 136 | (23.2) | 450 | (76.8) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
At risk of isolation | 46 | (30.3) | 106 | (69.7) | 1.3 | (1.0, 1.7) |
Presence of chronic disease | ||||||
None | 32 | (13.1) | 213 | (86.9) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
One chronic disease | 101 | (25.2) | 300 | (74.8) | 4.1 | (2.9, 6.0) |
More than one chronic disease | 49 | (53.3) | 43 | (46.7) | 8.4 | (4.8, 14.5) |
Diabetes | ||||||
No | 95 | (17.9) | 437 | (82.1) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 87 | (42.2) | 119 | (57.8) | 2.4 | (1.9, 3.0) |
Arthritis | ||||||
No | 125 | (21.0) | 469 | (79.0) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 57 | (39.6) | 87 | (60.4) | 1.9 | (1.5, 2.4) |
Stroke | ||||||
No | 166 | (23.6) | 539 | (76.4) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 16 | (48.5) | 17 | (51.5) | 2.1 | (1.4, 3.0) |
Depressive Symptomology | ||||||
No | 122 | (21.1) | 455 | (78.9) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 60 | (37.3) | 101 | (62.7) | 1.8 | (1.4, 2.3) |
Presenting visual acuity | ||||||
Normal | 130 | (22.5) | 449 | (77.5) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Mild to moderate visual impairment | 42 | (33.3) | 84 | (66.7) | 1.7 | (1.1, 2.5) |
Blind | 10 | (30.3) | 23 | (69.7) | 2.1 | (1.2, 3.8) |
BMI (weight/height2) | ||||||
Normal | 65 | (25.0) | 195 | (75.0) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Underweight | 79 | (24.8) | 240 | (75.2) | 1.0 | (0.7, 1.4) |
Overweight | 35 | (24.3) | 109 | (75.7) | 1.0 | (0.6, 1.6) |
Variables | Functional limitation present | Functional limitation absent | Unadjusted prevalence ratio | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n | (%) | n | (%) | PR | (95% CI) | |
Age group | ||||||
60-64 | 15 | (5.4) | 265 | (94.6) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
65-69 | 21 | (12.4) | 149 | (87.7) | 4.1 | (3.1, 5.4) |
70-74 | 36 | (24.2) | 113 | (75.8) | 8.2 | (5.4, 12.6) |
≥ 75 | 65 | (46.8) | 74 | (53.2) | 16.7 | (9.5, 29.2) |
Sex | ||||||
Male | 41 | (14.5) | 241 | (85.5) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Female | 96 | (21.1) | 360 | (78.9) | 2.1 | (1.17, 4.1) |
Ethnic Group | ||||||
Malays | 107 | (19.3) | 448 | (80.7) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Chinese | 22 | (20.4) | 86 | (79.6) | 0.6 | (0.4, 1.0) |
Indians and Others | 8 | (10.7) | 67 | (89.3) | 0.5 | (0.2, 1.1) |
Education level | ||||||
Secondary and Tertiary education | 8 | (9.6) | 75 | (90.4) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Primary education | 78 | (16.6) | 391 | (83.4) | 2.8 | (1.7, 4.6) |
No formal education | 51 | (27.4) | 135 | (72.6) | 4.6 | (2.1, 9.9) |
Marital status | ||||||
Married | 80 | (17.0) | 391 | (83.0) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Widowed | 57 | (21.9) | 203 | (78.1) | 1.4 | (0.8, 2.4) |
Others (single and divorced) | 0 | (0) | 7 | (100.0) | 1.7 | (0.7, 3.8) |
Living Arrangements | ||||||
Living with others | 125 | (19.1) | 528 | (80.9) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Living alone | 12 | (14.1) | 73 | (85.9) | 0.7 | (0.4, 1.2) |
Social support | ||||||
Not at risk of isolation | 98 | (16.7) | 488 | (83.3) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
At risk of isolation | 39 | (25.7) | 113 | (74.3) | 1.5 | (1.1, 2.1) |
Presence of chronic disease | ||||||
None | 11 | (4.5) | 234 | (95.5) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
One chronic disease | 92 | (22.9) | 309 | (77.1) | 5.9 | (3.9, 8.7) |
More than one chronic disease | 34 | (36.9) | 58 | (63.1) | 14.2 | (7.9, 25.4) |
Diabetes | ||||||
No | 69 | (13.0) | 463 | (87.0) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 68 | (33.0) | 138 | (67.0) | 2.5 | (1.9, 3.4) |
Arthritis | ||||||
No | 82 | (13.8) | 512 | (86.2) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 55 | (38.2) | 89 | (61.8) | 2.8 | (2.1, 3.7) |
Stroke | ||||||
No | 123 | (17.5) | 582 | (82.5) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 14 | (42.4) | 19 | (57.6) | 2.4 | (1.6, 3.7) |
Depressive Symptomology | ||||||
No | 81 | (14.0) | 496 | (86.0) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Yes | 56 | (34.8) | 105 | (65.2) | 2.5 | (1.8, 3.3) |
Presenting visual acuity | ||||||
Normal | 89 | (15.4) | 490 | (84.6) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Mild to moderate visual impairment | 39 | (31.0) | 87 | (69.0) | 2.4 | (1.6, 3.7) |
Blind | 9 | (27.3) | 24 | (72.7) | 3.8 | (2.0, 7.1) |
BMI (weight/height2) | ||||||
Normal | 51 | (19.6) | 209 | (80.4) | 1.0 | (Reference) |
Underweight | 65 | (20.4) | 254 | (79.6) | 0.7 | (0.5, 1.0) |
Overweight | 18 | (12.5) | 126 | (87.5) | 0.7 | (0.3, 1.1) |
Variables | Physical disability* as dependent variable (n = 738) | Functional Limitation as dependent variable (n = 738) |
---|---|---|
Age group | ||
60-64 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
65-69 | 2.8 (2.2, 3.6) | 1.7 (1.3, 2.3) |
70-74 | 4.7 (3.3, 6.8) | 2.3 (1.5, 3.4) |
≥ 75 | 7.9 (4.8, 12.9) | 3.0 (1.7, 5.2) |
Female | 1.1 (0.7, 2.0) | 2.7 (1.2, 6.1) |
Self reported chronic medical condition Ϯ | ||
Diabetes Mellitus | 1.8 (1.4, 2.3) | 1.2 (0.9, 1.5) |
Stroke | 1.5 (1.1, 2.2) | 1.1 (0.7, 1.7) |
Arthritis | 1.1 (0.8, 1.4) | 1.6 (1.2, 2.1) |
Presence of Depressive Symptomology Ϯ | 1.3 (1.1, 1.8) | 2.0 (1.5, 2.7) |
Presenting visual acuity | ||
Normal | 1.0 | 1.0 |
Mild to moderate visual impairment | 1.6 (1.1, 2.4) | 1.2 (0.7, 2.0) |
Blind | 2.0 (1.1, 3.6) | 1.4 (0.7, 3.0) |