[Behavioral competence among community dwelling older people with disability in basic activities of daily living]

This study observed the status of independence in behavioral competence among older people who have any disability in basic activities of daily living (BADL) living in a rural community in Japan. Study participants (N = 76) who were regarded as bedridden were surveyed by means of a questionnaire in July to August 1996. The independence variables were age, sex, BADL status, hearing impairment, visual impairment, history of stroke, and cognitive impairment. The dependent variable was each item of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) Index of Competence, which is a multidimensional 13-item index of behavioral competence. Percentages of subjects who were independent in each item of the TMIG Index of Competence varied from 1% to 36%. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that BADL status was independently associated with independence in using a telephone, being interested in news stories or programs dealing with health, being called on for advice, and initiating conversations with young people, after adjustment for age, sex, hearing impairment, visual impairment, history of stroke, and cognitive impairment. These findings suggest that programs for preventing decline in behavioral competence of older people with BADL disability might be important as well as physical therapy for them.