Modifiable factors for the length of life with disability before death: mortality retrospective study in Japan.
BACKGROUND
Past studies have measured and described the length of life with disability before death, but there has been no study of the relationship between modifiable lifestyle factors and duration of disability.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether there are modifiable factors influencing the length of life with disability before death.


METHODS
The study was designed as a retrospective observation of the deceased who had earlier been enrolled in a prospective cohort study. During the follow-up period (1996-1999), we documented 781 deaths among those who were 70-79 years of age at the baseline survey in 1994 (n=10,216). In 2000, we interviewed family members of the deceased about the duration of the subjects' disability before death (n=655).


RESULTS
The median duration of disability before death was approximately 6 months. Both higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and shorter time spent walking were significantly associated with an increased risk of long-term disability (more than 6 months). The odds ratios of long-term disability were 1.3 in those with BMI 20-25 and 2.1 in those with BMI>25, compared with BMI<20. The odds ratios of long-term disability were 1.3 in those walking for 0.5-0.9 h/day and 1.7 in those walking for <0.5 h/day, compared with those walking for >1.0 h/day. These relationships were unchanged after stratification for causes of death.


CONCLUSIONS
Weight control and walking in later life may shorten the length of life with disability before death.
Ohmori
Kaori
K
Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. ohmori-k@umin.ac.jp
Kuriyama
Shinichi
S
Hozawa
Atsushi
A
Ohkubo
Takayoshi
T
Tsubono
Yoshitaka
Y
Tsuji
Ichiro
I
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002423:Cause of Death; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008019:Life Style; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking