Mobility Related Disabilities On the Rise

The proportion of older middle-aged Americans who report disabilities related to mobility increased significantly from 1997 to 2007, in contrast to the disability decline that has been found among Americans ages 65 and over.  Linda G. Martin, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Maryland, USA), and colleagues assessed disability trends among people aged 50 to 64 by analyzing information from the 1997 to 2007 National Health Interview Survey.   More than 40% of subjects ages 50 to 64 years reported that because of a health problem they had difficulty with at least one of nine physical functions, and many reported problems with more than one. Over the study period, researchers noted a significant increase in the number of people reporting that a health problem made it difficult for them to stoop, stand for two hours, walk a quarter mile or climb 10 steps without resting. There also was a significant increase in the proportion of people who reported needing help with personal care activities of daily living such as getting in or out of bed or getting around inside their homes. The reason for the increase is not clear, although many of those reporting disabilities said they are due to health problems that began in their 30s and 40s. Observing that: “Musculoskeletal conditions remained the most commonly cited causes of disability [among those ages 50 to 64 years],” the researchers  also found that: “There were also substantial increases in the attribution of disability to depression, diabetes, and nervous system conditions for this age group.”