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Factors related to carrying out everyday activities among elderly people aged 80

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Abstract

The study was based on an epidemiological model in which performing activities of daily living (ADL) was the dependent variable. Variation in performing was explained by physical and mental health, and by physical performance. The population consisted of all 80-year-old residents (N=291) of the city of Jyväskylä in central Finland; 90% of them agreed to take part in the interviews at home, while 72% took part in the laboratory examinations to determine health status and functional capacity. Difficulties in at least some PADL (Physical Activities of Daily Living) tasks were reported by 86.5% of the men, and 87.2% of the women; none said they could perform all IADL (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living) tasks without difficulty. Physical performance (grip strength and stair mounting test in men, and stair mounting test, balance, and upper extremity function test in women) and visual acuity showed a significant association with ADL performance both in men and in women. In addition, depressive symptoms in women, and cognitive capacity in men were associated with both PADL and IADL, and ADL performance, respectively. In the search for pathways to reduced ADL performance, it is important to look not only at chronic diseases but also at the aging processes as well as the disabilities caused by inactivity. Tests of cognitive capacity, psychological well-being and physical performance provide valuable information on the factors that underlie the aged individual’s reduced functional capacity. (Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 6: 433-443, 1994)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, Health Center of the City of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, SF-40351, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Pia Laukkanen M.D., P. Era, R. L. Heikkinen, M. Kauppinen & E. Heikkinen

  2. Department of Psychology and Gerontology Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    T. Suutama

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  1. Pia Laukkanen M.D.
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  2. P. Era
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  3. R. L. Heikkinen
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  4. T. Suutama
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  5. M. Kauppinen
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  6. E. Heikkinen
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Laukkanen, P., Era, P., Heikkinen, R.L. et al. Factors related to carrying out everyday activities among elderly people aged 80. Aging Clin Exp Res 6, 433–443 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324275

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324275

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