Abstract
This study aimed to clarify the variability in the independence profiles of specific activities of daily living (ADL) among older men and women. The research subjects were 5872 older adults (1143 men and 4729 women) certified as requiring nursing care or support (based on data obtained from the nursing care insurance certification survey database) who could be surveyed in both 2009 and 2018. Using item response theory, this study compared longitudinal data of difficulties faced by older adults during ADL. The results indicated that among the long-term care insurance-certified persons, in 2009, men had higher ADL difficulty than women in all ADL items, and in 2018, there was no significant difference in items other than dressing and excretion. Furthermore, the difference in the rate of ADL difficulty level over 9 years was significantly higher in women than in men. It was shown that the progression of ADL disability due to aging is faster in men on a yearly basis, but it increases in women with aging. Therefore, it was suggested that the rate of ADL difficulty varies depending on age and sex.
Highlights
The reason for the lower independence level in men is that the previous study recruited from the general population of older people, whereas our study focused on older people who have difficulty in activities of daily living (ADL) due to mental or physical disorder
It was shown that the progression of ADL disorder due to aging is faster in men on a yearly basis but increases in women with aging
This study reveals that among the long-term care insurance certified persons, in 2009, men had higher ADL difficulty than women in all ADL items, and in 2018, there was no significant difference in items other than changing clothes and excretion
Summary
In Japan, over the last few decades, the number of people eligible for long-term care has nearly tripled, from 2.18 million in 2000 to 6.08 million in 2015. The percentage of older adults who experience difficulties in ADL is as high as 37% in Japan [2]. Owing to the deterioration of mental and physical functions related to aging, older people need support and assistance from others to perform various activities of daily living (ADL) [3]. It is clear that the incidence of disabilities affecting ADL increases with age [3,4]. It has been reported that ADL disorders are caused by age-related deteriorations of physical
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