PHYSICAL ILLNESS AND DISABILITY AMONG ELDERLY PEOPLE IN ENGLAND AND WALES - THE MEDICAL-RESEARCH-COUNCIL COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND AGING STUDY

Study objective-This study was conducted as part of the MRC cognitive function and ageing study. It aimed to estimate the lifetime prevalenc e of self reported physical illnesses and other health related events, and the prevalence of limiting disability in people over 65 in six ar eas of England and Wales. Design-Screening phase of a two stage preval ence study. Setting-Geographically delimited areas in four urban and t wo rural areas including institutions. Participants-Random population samples of people in their 65th year and above on the sample definitio n date, interviewed between 1989 and 1994. In Newcastle, Nottingham, a nd Oxford (urban) and in Cambridgeshire and Gwynedd(rural), the sample was stratified to provide equal numbers in the 65-74 and 75 years and over age groups. In Liverpool (urban), equal numbers in the five year age groups were taken. Main results-Age standardised prevalences were calculated for each geographical area, sex, and age group (65-74, 75). Many conditions were more prevalent in the older age group includin g stroke, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, diabetes, and shingles but h ypertension was more common in the younger age group. Conditions that were more prevalent in men included angina, heart attack, stroke, head injury, and peptic ulcers while hypertension, shingles, pernicious an aemia, and thyroid disease were more common in women. There was a comp lex pattern of area differences for individual conditions. Cambridgesh ire had generally low prevalences for many diseases, including vascula r problems, Gwynedd and Newcastle had less healthy elderly populations , and Nottingham and Newcastle had the highest percentages of housebou nd. Conclusions-This study provides the most robust available estimate s for lifetime prevalence of a variety of health conditions on a regio nal and national basis. It shows the greatly increased prevalence of d isability in the very old population, particularly women.