title: Changes in functional status among older adults in Japan: successful and usual aging.
abstract: This research aimed to chart the trajectories of functional status in old age in Japan and to assess how self-rated health and cognitive functioning differentiate these trajectories and account for interpersonal differences. Data came from a 5-wave panel study of a national sample of 2,200 Japanese older adults between 1987 and 1999. The sample as a whole showed an accelerated increase in functional limitations with age. approximated by a quadratic function. More important, 3 major trajectories of functional change were identified: (a) minimal functional decrement, (b) early onset of functional impairment. and (c) late onset of functional impairment. These findings may serve as useful benchmarks for observations derived from other developed nations.
authors.affiliation: U Michigan.
authors.forename: Jersey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: State U of New York--U at Albany.
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: U Michigan.
authors.forename: Neal M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.affiliation: U Michigan.
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.affiliation: U Michigan.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blaum
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Inst of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Inst of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukaya
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Metropolitan Inst of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugihara
authors.affiliation: Obirin U.
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sugisawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life