Prevalence and Spectrum of Functional Disability Among Sample of Outpatient Attendants to Geriatric Clinic in Baghdad Teaching Hospital
Zena Tarek Ahmed and Lamyaa A. Hasan
Arab Board of Health Specializations
Abstract
Functional disability represents the commonest cause of the decline in health status above 60 years old. Among the elderly population, the clinician needs to assess functional capacity to get an improvement in health status and nursing care for a better quality of life. The aim of this study assesses the prevalence and spectrum of functional disability among the elderly. A total sample of 400 patients from the attended geriatric outpatient clinic at Baghdad Teaching Hospital /Medical City Center of both genders aged ≥ 60 years. Data collected by using a questionnaire consists of socio-demographic factors and chronic diseases, six items of the Katz index for basic activities of daily living (BADL), and eight items of the Lawton index for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) for functional capacity assessment. The total prevalence of functional disability in the elderly sample for basic activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living was 4.5% and 10.8% respectively. Incontinence represents the highest percentage of dependency among basic activities of daily living followed by bathing, while food preparation, shopping, and responsibility for own medications are among instrumental activities of daily living in an elderly sample. There was a positive significant association between functional disability with age, gender, and marital status variables in association with basic activities of daily living performance, while a positive significant association was found between functional disability with age, gender, educational level, and occupation variables in association with instrumental activities of daily living performance. The level of independence for both basic activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living was relatively high. Dependency was significantly associated with advanced age, female gender, marital status, educational level, and occupation of the participants.
Presentation