title: The effect of having a partner on activities of daily living in men and women aged 82-87 years.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical functioning is an important determinant of mortality and morbidity in older adults and there may be differences by gender and marital status. This study compared disability, measured by the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), between older men and women who are either partnered or not partnered.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included 5497 women and 1072 men aged 82-87 years from cross sectional surveys conducted in 2008 (the Health in Men Study and the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health). Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between disability and gender by marital status, adjusting for self-reported chronic conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women reported a higher prevalence of most chronic conditions than men. Unpartnered men had significantly higher odds of reporting difficulty in dressing the lower body and doing heavy housework, and significantly lower odds of reporting difficulty managing money and preparing meals than partnered men. Unpartnered and partnered women had significantly lower odds of reporting difficulty in dressing the lower body, walking inside the house, using the toilet, preparing meals, taking medications, using the telephone and performing leisure activities than partnered men. However, unpartnered and partnered women had significantly higher odds of reporting difficulty with eating, shopping, and doing light or heavy housework than did partnered men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences between partnered and unpartnered older men and women in difficulty with ADLs and IADLs were identified, with women reporting less difficulty overall, regardless of partner status.
authors.affiliation: The University of Queensland, School of Psychology, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Queensland, Australia. n.pachana@psy.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Pachana
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Janni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dobson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012747:Sexual Partners