Gender differences in physical disability among older adults in underprivileged communities in Lebanon.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the role of health conditions, socioeconomic, and socioenvironmental factors in explaining gender differences in physical disability among older adults.


METHODS
We compared 412 women and 328 men residing in underprivileged communities in Lebanon on their activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and physical tasks (PT). Binary logistic regression analyses adjusting for possible explanatory covariates were conducted sequentially.


RESULTS
Women showed higher prevalence rates of ADL, IADL, and PT compared to men. Gender disparities in ADL disability were explained by chronic-disease risk factors and health conditions (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 0.94-2.25). The odds of disability in IADL and PT remained significantly higher for women compared to men after accounting for all available covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest underlying differences in functional status between women and men, yet, may have been influenced by the sensitivity of the measures to the social context and gendered environment surrounding daily activities.
School of Public Health-University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Adina
A
Zeki Al Hazzouri
Abla
A
Mehio Sibai
Monique
M
Chaaya
Ziyad
Z
Mahfoud
Kathryn M
KM
Yount
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002908:Chronic Disease; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors