A significant improvement in the prevalence of American adults aged 65 years and over without disabilities – including memory, hearing, optic and functional disabilities or restrictions on daily living activities – according to new national representative study published online at The Archives of Gontiology and Geriatrics plus I find it.
Overall, 61% of older Americans reported that it was disabled in 2008. The prevalence increased to 65% in 2017. While this may seem like a slight increase, the prevalence of people without disabilities remaining at 2008 levels, in addition 2.07 million elderly Americans would have at least one serious disability in 2017.
“Such a dramatic improvement in such a short time was extremely encouraging to see,” says senior writer Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of the Institute for Life & Geing Institute and Professor of the University of Toronto (Fifsw) and Fifsw Family and Community Medicine. “Those who are free of disabilities are less likely to need extensive health and long -term care services and find it easier to maintain their quality of life.”
This study analyzed data from 10 consecutive waves of national representative American Community research (2008-2017). About half a million respondents aged 65 or older provided information each year, resulting in a final sample size of 5.4 million elderly Americans. Respondents were asked to report whether they had a “serious difficulty” with five common types of disabilities. Individuals were defined as disability free if they reported that they had no serious memory problems, hearing problems, visual impairments, restrictions on daily living activities (such as swimming or dressing) or functional restrictions (such as walking or climbing).
In 2008, women were less likely to be free from men’s disability (59.4% versus 62.7%, respectively). Women had a steeper rate of improvement during the decade by their men. By 2017, the gender gap had been closed, with the prevalence that it was almost the same for women and men (64.7% versus 65.0% respectively).
Post -war generations were more likely to complete the Gymnasium and the University, and these trends can play an integral part in the improved dominance of older adults with no disabilities. Higher educational achievement reduces the likelihood of participating negative health behaviors, such as smoking and can lead to less physical demanding jobs, both related to a decrease in life. “
Deirdre Kelly-Adams, co-author, recent social work graduate from Fifsw at the University of Toronto
While such a positive improvement has been observed in the prevalence of elderly adults living without disabilities between 2008 and 2017, the authors discuss the possibility that the rate of improvement can be reduced in the coming decades. Most of the improvement was observed between people aged 75 and older. There has been a little improvement over the study of the decade between 65-74 years, which is representative of the Baby Boom generation. Although the current study does not reveal why there has been less improvement among baby boomers, authors indicate that this may be related to higher obesity rates among baby boomers compared to older generations.
“It will be needed further investigations to investigate if we continue to see these positive trends moving forward, especially between the Baby Boomer generation,” Fuller-Thomson said. “There is also a need to determine the mechanisms that lead the difference in the rate of improvement between men and women.”
Source:
Magazine report:
Kelly-Adams, D., & Fuller-Thomson, E., (2024). Silver Investment: A decade of improvement of life without disabilities among older Americans (2008-2017). Files of Gerontology and Geriatrics plus. doi.org/10.1016/j.aggp.2024.100113
