Incidence of ADL Disability in Older Persons, Physical Activities as a Protective Factor and the Need for Informal and Formal Care – Results from the SNAC-N Project

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to examine 1) the incidence of disability in Activities of Daily Living (ADL), in persons 78 years and older 2) explore whether being physical active earlier is a significant predictor of being disability free at follow-up and 3) describe the amount of informal and formal care in relation to ADL-disability.MethodsData were used from a longitudinal community-based study in Nordanstig (SNAC-N), a part of the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care (SNAC). To study objectives 1) and 2) all ADL-independent participants at baseline (N = 307) were included; for objective 3) all participants 78 years and older were included (N = 316). Data were collected at baseline and at 3- and 6-year follow-ups. ADL-disability was defined as a need for assistance in one or more activities. Informal and formal care were measured using the Resource utilization in Dementia (RUD)-instrument.ResultsThe incidence rates for men were similar in the age groups 78-81and 84 years and older, 42.3 vs. 42.5/1000 person-years. For women the incidence rate for ADL-disability increased significantly from the age group 78–81 to the age group 84 years and older, 20.8 vs.118.3/1000 person-years. In the age group 78–81 years, being physically active earlier (aOR 6.2) and during the past 12 month (aOR 2.9) were both significant preventive factors for ADL-disability. Both informal and formal care increased with ADL-disability and the amount of informal care was greater than formal care. The incidence rate for ADL-disability increases with age for women and being physically active is a protective factor for ADL-disability.ConclusionThe incidence rate for ADL-disability increases with age for women, and being physical active is a protective factor for ADL-disability.

Resource use and its association to cognitive impairment, ADL functions, and behavior in residents of Swedish nursing homes: Results from the U‐Age program (SWENIS study)

“…Still, the magnitude is not very high and may be interpreted as a factor of good equality in Swedish nursing homes. Eighty‐five percent of residents in this representative sample of nursing homes in Sweden were dependent in some activity of daily living that is common in older ages, and these are figures found in other studies . Two‐thirds of residents were cognitively impaired which is in line with previous studies and common when dementia is present .…”

“…Eighty-five percent of residents in this representative sample of nursing homes in Sweden were dependent in some activity of daily living that is common in older ages, and these are figures found in other studies. 22,41,42 Two-thirds of residents were cognitively impaired which is in line with previous studies and common when dementia is present. 4,9,[43][44][45][46] To our knowledge, there are only few previous studies that have analyzed resource use measured in hours per…”

Long-Term Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Other Health Habits as Predictors of Objectively Monitored Late-Life Physical Activity – A 40-Year Twin Study

“…29–31 In cross-sectional and shorter-term follow-up studies, low physical activity is associated with lower fitness, more frailty, higher disability, and poor health. 32–35 No long-term randomized trials have addressed whether changes in health behavior in middle age lead to late-life differences in physical activity. Also, observational follow-ups on this topic are rare, and we are not aware of other studies relating long-term leisure-time physical activity differences in younger adulthood to objectively measured physical activity/inactivity in later years.…”

Effects of dance on the postural balance, cognition and functional autonomy of older adults

“…Over time, complications regarding the functional autonomy and the mental impairment tend to increase, this was observed by Sjörlund et al (39) , who studied the functional autonomy in older adults of both sexes, aged 78 years or older, with dementia, whom received care through non-formal activities, such as dancing. These authors found that the incidence rate to increased loss of functional autonomy was greater in women.…”