Chronic conditions, physical limitations and dependency among seniors living in the community

The majority (75%) of people aged 55 and over who live in the community, as opposed to living in long-term health care institutions, report having at least one chronic condition. However, only about one in six has some physical limitation. As well, one in six men and one in four women who live in the community need help with everyday activities such as housework or meal preparation. With advancing age, the prevalence of most chronic conditions increases, as does the prevalence of physical problems and dependency. The contribution of particular conditions to physical limitations and dependency varies. According to Statistics Canada's 1994-95 National Population Health Survey, the conditions most strongly related to physical limitations and to the need for help with activities of daily living were epilepsy and the effects of stroke, neither of which affected a large percentage of the household population aged 55 and over. By contrast, arthritis/rheumatism, non-arthritic back problems and cataracts, which were also associated with physical limitations and dependency, affected a relatively large percentage of community-dwelling seniors. This article shows the prevalence of specific chronic conditions, physical limitations and dependency among people aged 55 and over living in the community, by sex and age. Logistic regression is used to examine relationships between each chronic condition and the existence of physical limitations and dependency.