Active life expectancy based on activities of daily living for older people living in a rural community in Japan

Authors: Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Yoshida, Hideyo¹; Kumagai, Shu²; Watanabe, Shuichiro³; Shinkai, Shoji²; Suzuki, Takao¹; Shibata, Hiroshi³; Imanaka, Yuichi⁴

Source: Geriatrics and Gerontology International, Volume 3, Supplement 1, December 2003 , pp. S78-S82(5)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

Objectives: 

To examine functional transitions in activities of daily living (ADL) over a one-year interval among older Japanese living in a rural community, and to estimate their active life expectancy (ALE) based on ADL. Design: 

A prospective cohort study. Setting: 

A community-based environment. Participants: 

A total of 1069 residents aged 65 or older in Nangai Village, Akita, Japan Measurements: 

A structured interviewed questionnaire, which involved age, sex, and four ADL items, was used for each survey in both 1996 and 1997. We defined functional dependency in ADL as a loss of independence in any ADL item. In addition, we defined ALE as the average number of remaining life years free of ADL dependence at a given age. Results: 

Of the baseline cohort (n = 1069), we received 1068 analyzable questionnaires at the follow-up survey in 1997. During the follow-up, 95% of subjects who were initially independent in ADL remained independent. Active life expectancies for men and women were estimated to be 15.4 and 17.8 more years at 65 years of age, respectively. Conclusion: 

The study revealed that women had longer average life years than men in terms of ADL disabilities.

Keywords: active life expectancy; activities of daily living; functional transition; older people

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1444-0594.2003.00099.x

Affiliations: 1: Departments of Epidemiology and 2: Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi, Tokyo, 3: Institute of Aging and Human Development, Obirin University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan 4: Department of Healthcare Economics and Quality Management, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Yoshida Konoe-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto,

Publication date: 2003-12-01

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• By this author: Ishizaki, Tatsuro ;  Yoshida, Hideyo ;  Kumagai, Shu ;  Watanabe, Shuichiro ;  Shinkai, Shoji ;  Suzuki, Takao ;  Shibata, Hiroshi ;  Imanaka, Yuichi

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