Disabling symptoms: what do older women report?.
OBJECTIVE
To answer the question, "What do older disabled women report as the main symptoms causing their disability?"


METHODS
Cross-sectional study of 876 women aged 65 and older who participated in the second interview of the Women's Health and Aging Study, a longitudinal study of community-living women, representing the one third of older women with at least mild to moderate disability.


RESULTS
Women were asked to identify the symptom and the condition that was the main cause of disability in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and lower extremity mobility. Musculoskeletal pain symptoms were reported as the main cause of disability by at least one third of women with each type of disability. Other symptoms that were less frequently reported as main causes of disability were weakness, fatigue, and unsteadiness. Fear of falls was reported by 14% (95% confidence interval, 11.2% to 17.6%) of 472 women with disability in bathing. When asked to report on the main condition causing their disability, many women responded, "old age" or "no specific disease," but were able to identify symptoms causing their disabilities.


CONCLUSIONS
Musculoskeletal pain was the most common cause of disability reported by older women, followed by weakness and balance difficulties. Greater attention to symptoms that interfere with daily activities of older persons may reduce the burden of disability.
Leveille
Suzanne G
SG
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged, Boston, Mass 02131-1097, USA. leville@mail.hrca.harvard.edu
Fried
Linda
L
Guralnik
Jack M
JM
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006302:Health Services Research; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis