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Disability in Singapore's Elderly Population.
Mithila Mahesh1, Edimansyah Abdin, Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar
1Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore
|August 16, 2016
Summary
Disability is linked to cognitive deficits, older age, female gender, certain ethnicities, and chronic illnesses in Singapore
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Disability significantly impacts physical, mental, and social functioning, increasing individual dependence.
- Understanding disability prevalence and risk factors is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of disability in Singapore's population.
- To identify key risk factors associated with disability in the elderly.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Well-being of the Singapore Elderly (WiSE) study (n=2421).
- Employed the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 for severity assessment.
- Analyzed associations with cognitive levels, sociodemographics, and chronic illnesses.
Main Results:
- Significant associations found between disability and cognitive deficits, older age, female gender, Malay/Indian ethnicity, lower education, and retired/homemaker status.
- Chronic illnesses such as stroke, heart problems, depression, and dementia were strongly linked to disability.
- Cognitive deficits correlated with higher WHODAS scores, indicating greater disability.
Conclusions:
- Identified specific demographic and health factors associated with disability in Singapore's elderly.
- Findings provide a basis for developing targeted interventions to mitigate disability.
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