Tiredness as determinant of subsequent use of health and social services among nondisabled elderly people.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether self-reported tiredness in daily activities at age 75 is an independent determinant of incident hospitalization and use of home services 5 years later.


METHODS
In all, 275 people participated in a prospective study in Glostrup, Denmark, when they were 75 and 80 years old. Four subgroups were created according to whether participants had been hospitalized or used home care in the year before the baseline study and whether or not they were disabled at the time. The key predictor variables were measured by two scales about tiredness in daily activities.


RESULTS
Nondisabled individuals who felt tired in their daily activities had about twice the risk of being hospitalized and of being users of home help 5 years later.


CONCLUSIONS
Because tiredness in daily activities is related to subsequent hospitalization and use of home help, it should be taken seriously in preventive services among elderly people.
Avlund
K
K
University of Copenhagen.
Damsgaard
M T
MT
Schroll
M
M
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies