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Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
Executive function and survival in the context of chronic illness
Peter A Hall1, Margaret Crossley, Carl D'Arcy
1Departments of Kinesiology & Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada. pahall@healthy.uwaterloo.ca
Background:
Individual differences in executive function (EF) have been shown to predict risk factors for chronic illness. It is not currently known whether EFs also predict survival time following a diagnosis of a chronic illness.
Purpose:
The objective of this investigation was to examine the association between individual differences in EF and survival time among individuals suffering from one or more chronic illness.
Methods:
A sample of 162 community-dwelling older adults who suffered from a chronic illness at baseline underwent thorough medical and neurological examinations to ensure freedom from actual or probable dementia. Participants completed cognitive testing and were subsequently followed for 10 years; survival was assessed as survival time over the follow-up interval.
Results:
Findings indicated that individual differences in EF predicted survival time, and this association held when adjustments were made for demographic variables (age, sex), education, and body mass index.
Conclusion:
Individual differences in EF may be important determinants of survival in the context of chronic illness.
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