Functional disability among elderly blacks and whites in two diverse areas : the New Haven and North Carolina EPESE

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 85; no. 7; pp. 994 - 998
• Main Authors: MENDES DE LEON, C. F, FILLENBAUM, G. G, WILLIAMS, C. S, BROCK, D. B, BECKETT, L. A, BERKMAN, L. F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Public Health Association 01-07-1995
• Subjects: African Americans; Age groups; Analysis. Health state; Biological and medical sciences; Black people; Body mass index; Chronic illnesses; Disability; Elderly people; Epidemiology; Functional impairment; General aspects; Medical sciences; Motor ability; Older people; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Questionnaires; Race; Racial differences; Ratios; Social research; Socioeconomic factors; USA; White people; Women; North Carolina; United States; North America; America; Connecticut; Human; Handicap; Prevalence; Socioeconomic status; Race; Epidemiology; Elderly; Public health; Geographical variation; Functional capacity
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/ajph.85.7.994

This study examines the prevalence of functional disability (limitation in at least one basic activity of daily living) among elderly Black and White community residents in the New Haven (n = 2812) and North Carolina (n = 4162) sites of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE). In New Haven, elderly Blacks, particularly women below age 75, had a higher prevalence of disability compared with Whites, which was partially attributable to a higher prevalence of chronic conditions. In North Carolina, Blacks had only a slightly higher risk of being disabled than Whites, and this was fully accounted for by differences in socioeconomic status. Black-White differences in the prevalence of functional disability reveal geographic variation.