Determinants of disability among the elderly population in a rural south Indian community: the need to study local issues and contexts

• Published in: International psychogeriatrics Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 333 - 341
• Main Authors: Duba, A. S., Rajkumar, A. P., Prince, M., Jacob, K. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.02.2012
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease - epidemiology; Chronic Disease - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Disability; Disability Evaluation; Disabled Persons - statistics & numerical data; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Geriatrics; Humans; India - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Neuropsychological Tests; Older people; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Socioeconomic Factors; India; Vellore India; dementia; incidence rate ratio; depression; disability evaluation; population attributable prevalence fraction; Social environment; Human; Mood disorder; Context; Handicap; Evaluation; Rural environment; Prevalence; Depression; Epidemiology; Incidence; Disability; Degenerative disease; Elderly; Community; Public health; Dementia
• ISSN: 1041-6102; 1741-203X
• DOI: 10.1017/S1041610211001669

Background: Disability among the elderly is a cause of significant burden. There is dearth of relevant research from low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to establish the nature and factors associated with disability among the elderly in a rural south Indian community. Methods: We recruited 1000 participants aged over 65 years from Kaniyambadi block, Vellore, India. We assessed their disability status, sociodemographic profile, psychiatric morbidity, cognitive functioning and anthropometrics using the following structured instruments: WHO Disability Assessment Scale II, Geriatric Mental State, Community Screening Instrument for Dementia, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory. We employed appropriate multivariate statistics to study the factors associated with a higher level of disability and to determine the population attributable fractions for various modifiable risk factors. Results: Advanced age, illiteracy, hunger, poor nutrition, arthritis, hearing impairment, gastro-intestinal and respiratory diseases, dementia and travel costs to primary health facilities increased the risk of disability significantly. Hypertension, diabetes and depression were not associated with disability. Modifiable social determinants and medical diseases together contributed to disability in this population. Conclusion: Locally relevant social determinants combine with prevalent medical diseases to produce the disability burden among elderly. There is a need to focus on local contexts and modifiable risk factors to design locally appropriate public health policies and interventions.