BackgroundBoth multimorbidity and activities of daily living (ADL) disability and instrument activities of daily living (IADL) disability are common among elderly individuals. ADL/IADL disability may reduce individuals’ capacities for independent living and quality of life. This study aimed to examine the association between multimorbidity and ADL/IADL disability.MethodsA multi-stage cluster sample of 2058 residents aged 80 or older was investigated in Shanghai, China. Multimorbidity was defined as the simultaneous presence of two or more chronic diseases with ten common chronic conditions under consideration. Subjects who responded that they “need partial or full assistance” to any ADL/IADL items were defined as having ADL/IADL disability. We examined the association of multimorbidity with ADL/IADL disability, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics by using logistic regression.ResultsOf respondents, 23.23 % had ADL disability, 37.90 % had IADL disability, and 49.17 % had multimorbidity. After adjusted socio-demographic characteristics, a graded association was showed between ADL disability and the quantity of chronic conditions: odds ratio (OR) for 1 condition, 1.53(95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.24); OR for 2 conditions, 2.06(95 % CI, 1.43-2.96); OR for 3 conditions, 3.23(95 % CI, 2.14-4.86); OR for 4 or more conditions, 5.61(95 % CI, 3.26-9.66). Similar associations were also observed between the quantity of chronic conditions and IADL disability.ConclusionsThe quantity of chronic conditions had relatively strong association with both ADL and IADL disability. Initiating prevention of additional chronic conditions and interventions on clusters of diseases may decrease the potential risk of ADL/IADL disability. Additionally, more attention should been given to the older low-income women living with relatives/non-relatives with multimorbidity.
Management. She was previously on the faculty of the Weatherhead School at Case Western Reserve University. Her research focuses on the various roles that information technology plays in organizations, with a focus on mediated knowledge sharing. She has published academic papers in such journals as
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.