title: Disability and principal lifetime occupation in the elderly.
abstract: This study addresses the relationship of disability with principal lifetime occupation in the elderly. Daily function, cognitive, and physical health variables were assessed in an Italian population of 524 community-dwelling elders aged seventy and over. Farmers had 1.4 (95% C.I.: 0.6 to 2.2) instrumental daily functions lost higher than white-collar workers. Adjustment for age, education, and financial dissatisfaction with multiple linear regression analysis decreased the difference to a still significant figure of 0.9 (95% C.I.: 0.1 to 1.7). On the contrary, adjustment only for cognitive status resulted in complete disappearance of the association [0.2 functions lost (95% C.I.: -0.5 to 0.9)]. The data indicate that greater disability in the most disadvantaged occupational groups may be due to poorer cognition.
authors.affiliation: Sacro Cuore Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geroldi
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Frisoni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rozzini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trabucchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009790:Occupations