title: Gender differences in life expectancy with and without disability among older adults in Ecuador.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knowledge on disability's impact among older women and men in Ecuador is limited. This paper provides gender-specific estimates of disability prevalence, life expectancy with and without disability, and the factors associated with gender differences in disability at older age in Ecuador (2009-2010).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Health, Well-Being, and Aging Survey (SABE) Ecuador 2009 was used. Participants were 4480 men and women aged 60 and over. Life expectancy with and without disability was calculated using the Sullivan method. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore gender differences in disability prevalence. Two disability measures, indicating limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  60-year-old women in Ecuador can expect to live 16.3 years without ADL limitations compared to 16.9 years for men. Life expectancy without IADL limitations was 12.5 years for women and 15.5 years for men. At age 60, women's length of life with ADL and IADL disability was higher (7.9 years for women vs. 4.9 years for men with ADL, and 11.7 years for women vs. 6.3 years for men with IADL). After controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, chronic conditions and lifestyle factors, gender differences in ADL disability were not statistically significant. However, older women were 58% more likely (OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.27, 1.95) to report having IADL limitations than men, even after including control variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions should tackle chronic disease, physical inactivity, and socioeconomic differences to reduce women's vulnerability to disability in older age.
authors: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois, 1206 South 4th Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA. Electronic address: peguez@illinois.edu.
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Egüez-Guevara
authors: Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois, 1206 South 4th Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
authors: Flávia Cristina Drumond
authors: FC
authors: Andrade
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004484:Ecuador / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Disability; Ecuador; Gender; Life expectancy; Older adults; SABE study