Determinants of Disability among Elderly Population in Rural Minia, Egypt
Eman M. Mahfouz1 and Hala AwadAllah2
1 Faculty of Medicine, El MinAbstracia University
2 Public Health Environment Institiute, Ein Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Corresponding author: Hala AwadAllah
Lectrurer of Public Health Environment Institiute, Ein Shams University
CEJOEM 2007, Vol.13. No.1.: 55–69
Key words:
ADL, disability, elderly, medical conditions, diabetes, osteo-arthritis, self-rating of health
Abstract:
Background: A key measure of functional independence in elderly age is the ability to do activities of
daily living (ADL) without the assistance of another person.
Methods: 506 rural population in El Minia, aged over 60 yrs were subjected
to an interview questionnaire, where activities of daily living (ADLs) and self-rated health were
assessed. Five items from Katz's ADLs (bathing, dressing, transfer, toileting, and eating) were used to
construct a three-level five-item ADL scale: not disabled (no disabilities), moderately disabled
(1–2 disabilities), and severely disabled (3–5 disabilities).
Design: household based cross sectional study using an interview questionnaire.
Objective: To describe the functional capacity and self-rated health.
Results: Nearly 10% of the participants could be categorized as being
disabled with variable levels of severity. Both moderate and severe disability were found to be more
prevalent among females where nearly 67% and 54% of female elders were classified as moderately or severely
disabled, respectively. Female elders were more liable to report poor health status than males. The results
of this study revealed that the most common causes of disability were diabetes mellitus (22%),
osteoarthritis and fracture (20%), followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (16%), eye
problems (8%) and cardiovascular diseases (6%). Osteoarthritis and diabetes mellitus significantly
contributed to the occurrence of disability. About 68% of the participants had a positive history of health
problems, 30% were bed-ridden and about 24% were hospitalized for various reasons at some time during the last
year. Almost 7% and 48% self-rated their health as poor and fair, respectively. Mean number of days staying in
bed or admitted to hospital as inpatients during the last year were significantly more among elders with
disability than their counterparts without disability (142 and 14.5 days vs. 22.2 days and
14.3 days, respectively). Rural elderly population experiencing disability in El Minia was found to
belong to low socioeconomic class. Single status was significantly related to the occurrence of both disability
and poor health status, where up to 54% of the elderly with either moderate or severe disability were unmarried
and about 66% rated their health as poor.
Conclusion: Disability in ADL and poor health were prevalent among nearly
10% and 7% of the elderly population in rural Minia, respectively. Diabetes and osteoarthritis were more
prevalent among the disabled and significantly contributed to the disability in themselves. Disability was
also associated with age, low income, female gender, and single status.
Recommendations: Adequate multiple responses should be developed to the problems
ssociated with disability.
Received: 11 April 2007
Accepted: 24 September 2007
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