Health of Community-Dwelling Adults With Mobility Limitations in the United States: Prevalent Health Conditions. Part I
Presented as an abstract to the American Public Health Association, December 14, 2005, Philadelphia, PA.
Abstract
Rasch EK, Hochberg MC, Magder L, Magaziner J, Altman BM. Health of community-dwelling adults with mobility limitations in the United States: prevalent health conditions. Part I.
Objective
To characterize the extent and types of prevalent health conditions among nationally representative groups of adults with mobility, nonmobility, and no limitations.
Design
Data were collected during 5 rounds of household interviews from a probability subsample of households that represent the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population. With some exceptions, round 1 variables were used for this analysis.
Setting
Community.
Participants
Data were analyzed on the same respondents from the 1996 to 1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and the 1995 National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplement. Respondents were categorized into 3 groups for analysis: those with mobility limitations, nonmobility limitations; and no limitations. The analytic sample included 13,897 MEPS adults (≥18y).
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Number, types, and prevalence of self-reported health conditions compared across groups.
Results
On average, adults with mobility limitations had significantly more prevalent conditions (3.6) than those with nonmobility limitations (2.4), or no limitations (1.3). Greater comorbidity existed in the context of fewer personal resources and more than half of adults with mobility limitations were working age.
Conclusions
Determining factors that influence the health of adults with mobility limitations is a critical public health issue.
aRehabilitation Medicine Department, Clinical Research Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
bUniversity of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
cNational Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD
Correspondence to Elizabeth K. Rasch, PT, PhD, National Institutes of Health, Bldg 10, CRC, Room 1469, 10 Center Dr, MSC 1604, Bethesda, MD 20892-1604. Reprints are not available from the author.
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.
1 Rasch was employed at the National Center for Health Statistics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention when this work was completed.
ABSTRACT