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Gender differences in the comparison of self-reported disability and performance measures
S S Merrill1, T E Seeman, S V Kasl
1Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, USA.
Summary
Older adults generally report their functional abilities accurately. While women report more disability, this reflects true differences in physical function, not just reporting bias.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Biomedical Geriatrics
Background:
- Gender disparities in functioning among older adults are established.
- Differential self-reporting of functional challenges by gender may influence observed differences.
- Investigating self-report accuracy against observed performance is crucial for understanding these disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine gender differences in functional ability.
- To compare self-reported function with observed physical task performance.
- To determine if reporting accuracy explains gender differentials in functional status.
Main Methods:
- 1,458 older adults (71+) from the New Haven EPESE cohort participated in 1988.
- Self-reported activities of daily living (ADL) disability and functional limitations were collected.
- Observed performance on 7 physical tasks was compared with self-reports to assess reporting accuracy.
Main Results:
- Women reported higher disability and functional limitations than men, with poorer performance across all tasks.
- Self-reports were accurate for most participants, but underreporting was more common in men and overreporting in women among inaccurate reporters.
- Observed physical performance accounted for all gender differences in ADL disability and most in functional limitations.
Conclusions:
- Older adults generally provide accurate self-reports of their functional status.
- Women's higher reported prevalence of functional problems likely reflects genuine disability.
- Understanding reporting accuracy is key to interpreting gender differences in aging and health.