Cohort differences in disability and disease presence

Using the National Health Interview Surveys conducted from 1982 through 1993, this article examines cohort patterns in disability and disease presence for adults born between 1915 and 1959, at ages ranging from 30 to 69 years. In general, disability decreases for cohorts born between 1916 and the early 1940s (for men) or the early 1950s (for women), but begins to increase for cohorts born after those dates. Later-born cohorts have significantly lower levels of some diseases, most importantly cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and emphysema. However, some diseases and conditions are more prevalent in later-born cohorts: asthma, musculoskeletal disorders, and orthopedic impairments. The results presented here indicate that adults born in the late 1940s and 1950s will be in better cardiovascular health but may be in worse musculoskeletal condition when they enter old age compared with current cohorts of older persons.