title: Longitudinal changes in functional capacity: effects of socio-economic position among ageing adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health and functional capacity have improved especially in Western countries over the past few decades. Nevertheless, the positive secular trend has not been able to decrease an uneven distribution of health. The main aim of this study was to follow-up changes in functional capacity among the same people in six years time and to detect whether the possible changes vary according to socio-economic position (SEP). In addition, it is of interest whether health behaviours have an effect on these possible changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This longitudinal follow-up study consisted of 1,898 individuals from three birth cohorts (1926-1930, 1936-40, 1946-50) who took part in clinical check-ups and answered to a survey questionnaire in 2002 and 2008. A sub-scale of physical functioning from the RAND-36 was used to measure functional capacity. Education and adequacy of income were used as indicators of socio-economic position. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used as a main method of analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical functioning in 2002 and 2008 was poorest among those men and women belonging to the oldest cohort. Functional capacity deteriorated in six years among men in the oldest cohort and among women in all three cohorts. Socio-economic disparities in functional capacity among ageing people existed. Especially lower adequacy of income was most consistently associated with poorer functional capacity. However, changes in functional capacity by socio-economic position remained the same or even narrowed independent of health behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Socio-economic disparities in physical functioning are mainly incorporated in the level of functioning at the baseline. No widening socioeconomic disparities in functional capacity exist. Partly these disparities even seem to narrow with ageing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. tommi.sulander@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Tommi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sulander
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Tuuli
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pajunen
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karisto
authors.forename: Pertti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pohjolainen
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fogelholm
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors