Abstract
BackgroundThe high burden of chronic conditions, coupled with various physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that accompany the phenomenon of aging, may limit the functional ability of older adults. This study aims to assess the prevalence of poor functional status and investigate factors associated with poor functional status among community-dwelling older adults in rural communities of eastern Nepal.MethodsData on 794 older adults aged ≥ 60 years from a previous community-based cross-sectional study was used. Participants were recruited from rural municipalities of Morang and Sunsari districts of eastern Nepal using multi-stage cluster sampling. Functional status was assessed in terms of participants’ ability to perform activities of daily living using the Barthel Index. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and self-reported chronic conditions. A binary logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with poor functional status.ResultsThe overall prevalence of poor functional status was 8.3 % (male: 7.0 % and female: 9.6 %), with most dependence noted for using stairs (17.3 %), followed by dressing (21.9 %) on Barthel Index. In the adjusted model, oldest age group (odds ratio [OR] = 2.83, 95 %CI: 1.46, 5.50), those unemployed (OR = 2.41, 95 %CI: 1.26, 4.65), having memory/concentration problems (OR = 2.32, 95 %CI: 1.30, 4.13), depressive symptoms (OR = 2.52, 95 %CI: 1.28, 4.95), and hypertension (OR = 1.78, 95 %CI: 1.03, 3.06) had almost or more than two times poor functioning.ConclusionsOne in 12 older adults had poor functional status as indicated by their dependency on the items of the Barthel Index; those in the oldest age bracket were more likely to exhibit poor functional status. We suggest future studies from other geographies of the country to supplement our study from the rural setting for comprehensive identification of the problem, which could guide the development of prevention strategies and comprehensive interventions for addressing the unmet needs of the older adults for improving functional status.
Highlights
The high burden of chronic conditions, coupled with various physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that accompany the phenomenon of aging, may limit the functional ability of older adults
The high burden of prevalent conditions coupled with the various physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that accompany the phenomenon of aging [6], may limit the functional ability of older adults, and they may need assistance to perform daily activities such as eating, cooking, bathing, moving around, shopping, and managing finances and medications, etc
To date, there has been no evidence from the southern plain of Nepal, where most of the marginalized communities (Madhesi, Dalits, and Indigenous groups) reside. With this multifold relevance noted, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of poor functional status and its associated factors among community-dwelling older people in rural eastern Nepal
Summary
The high burden of chronic conditions, coupled with various physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that accompany the phenomenon of aging, may limit the functional ability of older adults. The high burden of prevalent conditions coupled with the various physical, mental, and psychosocial changes that accompany the phenomenon of aging [6], may limit the functional ability of older adults, and they may need assistance to perform daily activities such as eating, cooking, bathing, moving around, shopping, and managing finances and medications, etc. The prevalence of disability among older people shows an increasing trend [17, 18] and may jeopardize older adults’ full participation in the society
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