The Gerontologist
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Clark, D. O.
Right arrow Articles by Wolinsky, F. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Clark, D. O.
Right arrow Articles by Wolinsky, F. D.

The Gerontologist, Vol 36, Issue 3 322-331, Copyright © 1996 by The Gerontological Society of America

ARTICLES

Physical function among retirement-aged African American men and women

DO Clark, CM Callahan, SM Mungai and FD Wolinsky
Indiana University, Department of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.

Prior attempts to identify factors associated with physical function (here, major lower body movements) among African Americans have been constrained by a narrow range of measures, small sample sizes, or both. The 1992 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) contains a substantial over- sample of African Americans (649 men and 957 women self-respondents aged 51 to 61 years), and detailed measures of high-risk behaviors, disease prevalence and severity, impairment, and physical function. We extend the natural history of disease to the natural history of functional status and model sociodemographic characteristics, high-risk behaviors, disease prevalence and severity, and impairments as direct and indirect influences on physical function in this African American sample. This natural history of functional status model fits the data well for both men (ROC = .88) and women (ROC = .83), although there are gender differences. Slightly over one-half of the women report some difficulty in physical function, compared with one-third of the men. Women also have a higher mean body-mass and report a greater prevalence and severity in 6 of 9 chronic diseases and more pain, but are less likely to smoke or abuse alcohol than men. Importantly, many of the factors with the largest direct and indirect associations with difficulty in physical function among these African American men (alcohol abuse, smoking, body mass, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arthritis, and pain) and women (alcohol abuse, body mass, arthritis, and respiratory illness) are all potentially preventable or manageable.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 GerontologistHome page
K. R. Jenkins
Obesity's Effects on the Onset of Functional Impairment Among Older Adults
Gerontologist, April 1, 2004; 44(2): 206 - 216.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Research on AgingHome page
D. Zablotsky and K. A. Mack
Changes in Obesity Prevalence Among Women Aged 50 Years and Older: Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 1990-2000
Research on Aging, January 1, 2004; 26(1): 13 - 30.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 J Aging HealthHome page
T. M. Damush, T. E. Stump, and D. O. Clark
Body-Mass Index and 4-Year Change in Health-Related Quality of Life
J Aging Health, May 1, 2002; 14(2): 195 - 210.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci.Home page
D. G. Blazer, G. Fillenbaum, and B. Burchett
The APOE-E4 Allele and the Risk of Functional Decline in a Community Sample of African American and White Older Adults
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., December 1, 2001; 56(12): M785 - 789.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
All GSA journals Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Copyright © 1996 by The Gerontological Society of America.