Mobility disability among elderly men and women in Sweden

This paper draws on a unique longitudinal study, '70-year-old people in Gothenburg, Sweden', to augment available knowledge of the incidence of physical disability in an ageing cohort. Among women the incidence of mobility disability was 0.12 between age 70 and 75 years, and 0.19 from age 75 to 79 years. One in 10 males became mobility disabled from age 70 to 75 years while the risk increased to 0.18 between age 75 and 79 years. Cohort members disabled at age 70 years were at significantly increased risk of dying by age 79 years compared with their non-disabled counterparts. The data were consistent with other research revealing a substantial annual risk of disability or death for people in their eighth decade of life.