Functional disability among elderly blacks and whites in two diverse areas: the New Haven and North Carolina EPESE. Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly.
This study examines the prevalence of functional disability (limitation in at least one basic activity of daily living) among elderly Black and White community residents in the New Haven (n = 2812) and North Carolina (n = 4162) sites of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE). In New Haven, elderly Blacks, particularly women below age 75, had a higher prevalence of disability compared with Whites, which was partially attributable to a higher prevalence of chronic conditions. In North Carolina, Blacks had only a slightly higher risk of being disabled than Whites, and this was fully accounted for by differences in socioeconomic status. Black-White differences in the prevalence of functional disability reveal geographic variation.
Mendes de Leon
C F
CF
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8034, USA.
Fillenbaum
G G
GG
Williams
C S
CS
Brock
D B
DB
Beckett
L A
LA
Berkman
L F
LF
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003237:Connecticut; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*