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Reported and Measured Physical Functioning in Older Inner-City Diabetic African Americans
- Source :
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 54:M230-M236
- Publication Year :
- 1999
- Publisher :
- Oxford University Press (OUP), 1999.
-
Abstract
- Background. The impact of diabetes on disability and physical functioning in older African Americans and potential causes of the excessive disability associated with diabetes in other studies have been inadequately investigated.Methods. A population-based survey was performed comparing 116 self-reported diabetic inner-city African Americans aged 70 years and older to 522 nondiabetic persons from the same population. A subsample (n = 168) received a physical examination focused on body habitus, upper and lower body strength, balance, and timed physical performance tasks. Blood tests were obtained from 173 subjects.Results. Diabetic individuals reported worse general health (p = .01), instrumental activities of daily living (p = .02), and modified versions of the Rosow-Breslau scale (p < .001) and the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (p = .002). Diabetic persons also reported more falls (0.59 per person vs 0.20, p = .019) and injurious falls (12% vs 6%, p = .025). There were minimal differences in the strength, balance, and timed performance measures (analyzed separately by gender). In multivariable analyses, impairments in visual function and pain and light touch perception appeared to explain some of the association between diabetic status and poor general health, disability, and falls, with lesser contribution from the number of medical problems, number of medications, and glycemic control.Conclusions. Older inner-city diabetic blacks demonstrated worse general health, excess disability, and more falls compared to controls, although deficits in strength, balance, and timed performance could not be demonstrated. The cause of decreased functional status in diabetic elders deserves additional investigation, focusing especially on sensory function, glycemic control, and contribution from specific medical problems and medications.
- Subjects :
- Blood Glucose
Male
Gerontology
Aging
medicine.medical_specialty
Activities of daily living
Health Status
Population
Vision Disorders
Black People
Pain
Poison control
Physical examination
Occupational safety and health
Sex Factors
Diabetes mellitus
Activities of Daily Living
Task Performance and Analysis
Injury prevention
Diabetes Mellitus
medicine
Humans
Disabled Persons
education
Physical Examination
Postural Balance
Aged
Glycemic
Aged, 80 and over
education.field_of_study
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Urban Health
medicine.disease
Black or African American
Touch
Population Surveillance
Multivariate Analysis
Sensation Disorders
Physical therapy
Body Constitution
Accidental Falls
Female
Geriatrics and Gerontology
business
Muscle Contraction
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 1758535X and 10795006
- Volume :
- 54
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....011bf6ec547b3330392b1b4bc8276ca9