New cohorts of urban elders: are they in trouble?

Recent social and economic trends suggest that the health and welfare of elderly persons living in urban areas may have deteriorated during the past two decades. Two representative samples of noninstitutionalized urban persons aged 65 and over were interviewed, one in 1975 (n = 1598) and the other in 1987 (n = 1491). Cohorts of "young-old" (ages 65-76), "old-old" (ages 77-88), and "oldest-old" (ages 89-100) urban residents were compared at the two time points by multivariate analysis. Over the 12 years studied, the proportion of Blacks and poor persons rose, while the educational level improved. The young-old cohort of 1987, in particular, reported more chronic illness, more psychological distress, more need for help with activities of daily living, more visits to physicians, and more need for additional medical care. We conclude that, between 1975 and 1987, a new cohort of urban residents who were more impaired, disabled, and disadvantaged than their predecessors entered the young-old age group.