Identifying adults aging with disability using existing data: The case of the Health and Retirement Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Disability Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• The population of adults aging with disabilities is growing.
• Understanding their health, economic security, and service needs is increasingly important.
• Segmenting these populations in national datasets is key.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify viable sub-samples of adults aging with disabilities.
• To utilize the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) for this analysis.
• To facilitate research on aging with disability.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of Wave 11 (2012) of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).
• Utilized five operationalizations of disability: childhood disability, childhood chronic condition, adult chronic condition, functional limitation in adulthood, and work disability.
• Examined sample sizes for each operationalization.

Main Results:

• Subsamples are not mutually exclusive; significant overlap exists between childhood disability and adult conditions.
• Individuals with childhood disability often report adult chronic disease (87%), functional limitations (50%), and work disability (38%).
• Health outcomes (fair/poor health) are notably worse for adults with functional limitations or work disability.

Conclusions:

• Work disability and functional limitation are the most practical sub-samples for studying aging with disability in the HRS.
• Further research is needed as the age of disability onset remains unclear.
• These findings aid in better understanding and supporting aging populations with disabilities.