title: Comorbidity and disability in elderly Mexican and Mexican American adults: findings from Mexico and the southwestern United States.
abstract: This article aims to compare the effects of morbid and comorbid medical conditions on disability in elderly Mexican and Mexican American adults. Data from the 2001 Mexican Health and Aging Study (N = 4,872) and 1993 to 1994 Hispanic Established Population for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (N = 3,050) were analyzed. Prevalence of medical conditions and disability in activities of daily living were calculated and logistic models were used to test associations. Prevalence of disability in older Mexicans was 16.3% while it was slightly lower in Mexican Americans (13.1%). Prevalence of arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke were substantially higher in Mexican Americans than in older adults living in Mexico. Diabetes, stroke, and heart attack were comorbid conditions that raised the likelihood of disability in both populations among subjects with other medical conditions. Despite differences in prevalence, the associations of morbidity and comorbidity with disability had similar magnitudes in both populations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry, National Institute on Aging, 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 3C309, Bethesda, MD 20892-9205, USA. patelku@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Kushang V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: M Kristen
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Peek
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Kyriakos S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Markides
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology