Disability and principal lifetime occupation in the elderly

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Occupational Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Disability in the elderly is a growing concern, impacting daily functioning and quality of life.
• Lifetime occupation is a potential determinant of health and functional status in later life.
• Understanding the occupational-disability link is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between principal lifetime occupation and disability in community-dwelling elders.
• To explore the role of cognitive function in mediating the relationship between occupation and daily function loss.
• To identify occupational groups at higher risk for disability in old age.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 524 Italian elders aged 70 years and over.
• Assessment of daily function, cognitive status, and physical health.
• Multiple linear regression analysis to adjust for covariates like age, education, and financial dissatisfaction.

Main Results:

• Farmers reported significantly more lost instrumental daily functions compared to white-collar workers.
• After adjusting for age, education, and financial dissatisfaction, the difference remained significant.
• Adjusting for cognitive status alone eliminated the association between occupation and daily function loss.

Conclusions:

• Poorer cognitive status may explain the higher disability observed in disadvantaged occupational groups.
• Cognitive function is a critical factor in the relationship between occupation and disability in the elderly.
• Interventions targeting cognitive health could mitigate disability risk in vulnerable occupational groups.