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Pregnancy as a risk factor for ambulatory limitation in later life

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  • Aiken, A.R.A.
  • Angel, J.L.
  • Miles, T.P.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated the relationship between the number of times a woman has been pregnant and walking difficulty in later life. Methods: With data from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly, a representative population-based cohort of Mexican Americans aged 65 years and older residing in 5 Southwestern states, we measured walking difficulty using 2 items from the performance-oriented mobility assessments: the timed walk and seated chair rise. Results: We observed significantly higher rates of ambulatory limitation among women with 6 or more pregnancies than among women with 4 or fewer pregnancies: 44.9% and 27.0%, respectively, were unable to perform or performed poorly in the seated chair rise and timed walk. Ordinal logistic regression models show that gravidity predicts level of performance in both mobility tasks and that higher gravidity is associated with worse performance, even after adjustment for both age and chronic disease. Conclusions: Gravidity is a risk factor for ambulatory limitation in old age. A life course approach to reproduction in public health research and practice is warranted.

Suggested Citation

  • Aiken, A.R.A. & Angel, J.L. & Miles, T.P., 2012. "Pregnancy as a risk factor for ambulatory limitation in later life," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(12), pages 2330-2335.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2012.300791_8
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300791
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    Cited by:

    1. Emily Grundy & Sanna Read, 2015. "Pathways from fertility history to later life health: Results from analyses of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(4), pages 107-146.
    2. Małgorzata Socha & Krzysztof A. Sobiech, 2021. "Socio-Demographic and General Health Factors Associated with Quality of Life in Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors from Southwestern Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-15, September.
    3. Martin O’Flaherty & Janeen Baxter & Michele Haynes & Gavin Turrell, 2016. "The Family Life Course and Health: Partnership, Fertility Histories, and Later-Life Physical Health Trajectories in Australia," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(3), pages 777-804, June.

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