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Gender differences in physical disability among an elderly cohort

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  • Murtagh, K.N.
  • Hubert, H.B.

Abstract

Objectives. We analyzed the role of sociodemographic factors, chronic-disease risk factors, and health conditions in explaining gender differences in disability among senior citizens. Methods. We compared 1348 men and women (mean age = 79 years) on overall disability and compared their specific activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and mobility limitations. Analysis of covariance adjusted for possible explanatory factors. Results. Women were more likely to report limitations, use of assistance, and a greater degree of disability, particularly among IADL categories. However, these gender differences were largely explained by differences in disability-related health conditions. Conclusions. Greater prevalence of nonfatal disabling conditions, including fractures, osteoporosis, back problems, osteoarthritis and depression, contributes substantially to greater disability and diminished quality of life among aging women compared with men.

Suggested Citation

  • Murtagh, K.N. & Hubert, H.B., 2004. "Gender differences in physical disability among an elderly cohort," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(8), pages 1406-1411.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:2004:94:8:1406-1411_7
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    Cited by:

    1. Milena Kostadinovic & Dejan Nikolic & Ivana Petronic & Dragana Cirovic & Mirko Grajic & Milena Santric Milicevic, 2018. "Sociodemographic Predictors of Physical Functioning in the Elderly: A National Health Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Mohsen Bazargan & James Smith & Mohammed Saqib & Hamid Helmi & Shervin Assari, 2019. "Associations between Polypharmacy, Self-Rated Health, and Depression in African American Older Adults; Mediators and Moderators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Zan Yang & Yuqi Fu, 2019. "Physical Attributes of Housing and Elderly Health: A New Dynamic Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Böhme, Marcus H. & Persian, Ruth & Stöhr, Tobias, 2015. "Alone but better off? Adult child migration and health of elderly parents in Moldova," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 211-227.
    5. García-Muñoz, Teresa & Neuman, Shoshana & Neuman, Tzahi, 2014. "Health Risk Factors among the Older European Populations: Personal and Country Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 8529, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Yee Mang Chan & Norhafizah Sahril & Ying Ying Chan & Nor’ Ain Ab Wahab & Norliza Shamsuddin & Muhd Zulfadli Hafiz Ismail, 2021. "Vision and Hearing Impairments Affecting Activities of Daily Living among Malaysian Older Adults by Gender," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-12, June.
    7. Wolfe, Joseph D. & Thomeer, Mieke Beth & Reczek, Rin, 2023. "Age at first birth and women's midlife health: Cohort and race differences across the 20th century," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 331(C).
    8. Chen, Cynthia & Lim, Jue Tao & Chia, Ngee Choon & Wang, Lijia & Tysinger, Bryan & Zissimopoulos, Julie & Chong, Ming Zhe & Wang, Zhe & Koh, Gerald Choon Huat & Yuan, Jian-Min & Tan, Kelvin Bryan & Chi, 2019. "The long-term impact of functional disability on hospitalization spending in Singapore," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    9. Lasse Lybecker Scheel-Hincke & Sören Möller & Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen & Bernard Jeune & Linda Juel Ahrenfeldt, 2020. "Cross-national comparison of sex differences in ADL and IADL in Europe: findings from SHARE," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 69-79, March.
    10. Sonja Jungreitmayr & Susanne Ring-Dimitriou & Birgit Trukeschitz & Siegfried Eisenberg & Cornelia Schneider, 2021. "Effects of an Information and Communication Technology-Based Fitness Program on Strength and Balance in Female Home Care Service Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-14, July.
    11. D. Omariba & Edward Ng, 2015. "Health literacy and disability: differences between generations of Canadian immigrants," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 60(3), pages 389-397, March.
    12. Maria Vozikaki & Manolis Linardakis & Katerina Micheli & Anastas Philalithis, 2017. "Activity Participation and Well-Being Among European Adults Aged 65 years and Older," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 131(2), pages 769-795, March.
    13. Kathryn Yount & Emily Agree, 2005. "Differences in disability among older women and men in Egypt and Tunisia," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(1), pages 169-187, February.
    14. Davin, Bérengère & Paraponaris, Alain & Verger, Pierre, 2009. "Socioeconomic determinants of the need for personal assistance reported by community-dwelling elderly: Empirical evidence from a French national health survey," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 138-146, January.
    15. Teresa García-Muñoz & Shoshana Neuman & Tzahi Neuman, 2014. "Subjective Health Status of the Older Population: Is It Related to Country-Specific Economic Development Measures?," Working Papers 2014-02, Bar-Ilan University, Department of Economics.
    16. Shervin Assari & Cheryl Wisseh & Mohsen Bazargan, 2019. "Obesity and Polypharmacy among African American Older Adults: Gender as the Moderator and Multimorbidity as the Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-16, June.
    17. Zunzunegui, Maria-Victoria & Alvarado, Beatriz-Eugenia & Béland, François & Vissandjee, Bilkis, 2009. "Explaining health differences between men and women in later life: A cross-city comparison in Latin America and the Caribbean," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 235-242, January.
    18. Lei, Xiaoyan & Sun, Xiaoting & Strauss, John & Zhao, Yaohui & Yang, Gonghuan & Hu, Perry & Hu, Yisong & Yin, Xiangjun, 2014. "Reprint of: Health outcomes and socio-economic status among the mid-aged and elderly in China: Evidence from the CHARLS national baseline data," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 4(C), pages 59-73.
    19. Lei, Xiaoyan & Sun, Xiaoting & Strauss, John & Zhao, Yaohui & Yang, Gonghuan & Hu, Perry & Hu, Yisong & Yin, Xiangjun, 2014. "Health outcomes and socio-economic status among the mid-aged and elderly in China: Evidence from the CHARLS national baseline data," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 3(C), pages 29-43.
    20. Jayanta Kumar Bora & Nandita Saikia, 2015. "Gender Differentials in Self-Rated Health and Self-Reported Disability among Adults in India," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    21. Vanhoutte, Bram, 2019. "Age takes hold of us by surprise: Conceptualising Vulnerabilities in Ageing as the Timing of Adverse Events - Pre-print," SocArXiv xqjwv, Center for Open Science.
    22. Huai‐Ting Kuo & Kuan‐Chia Lin & Chung‐Fu Lan & I‐Chuan Li, 2017. "Activities of daily living trajectories among institutionalised older adults: A prospective study," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(23-24), pages 4756-4767, December.
    23. Nelda Mier & Marcia G. Ory & Samuel D. Towne & Matthew Lee Smith, 2017. "Relative Association of Multi-Level Supportive Environments on Poor Health among Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, April.
    24. Veena S. Kulkarni & Vani S. Kulkarni & Raghav Gaiha, 2018. "Aging, disability and disease in India," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 302018, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    25. Mine Kühn & Christian Dudel & Tobias C. Vogt & Anna Oksuzyan, 2017. "Trends in gender differences in health and mortality at working ages among West and East Germans," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2017-009, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.

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