PREDICTORS OF PHYSICAL-DISABILITY AMONG R ETIRED PEOPLE IN PARIS AREA

Objective : The objective of the present study was to examine predicto rs of physical disability in a survey Of retired men and women living in the Paris area followed-up longitudinally for IO years. Methods : S ubjects were randomly selected in a supplementary retirement pension f und. In all 627 subjects took part in the first phase of the survey (1 982-83) and 392 in the follow-up phase (1992-93). At the 1O-year follo w-up, there were 185 confirmed deaths and 50 subjects refused to parti cipate or could not be traced. Physical disability was measured by dif ficulties reported by the subjects for seven basic activities of daily life. Possible predictors, socio-demographic, impairments, physical a ctivities, working conditions during working life were explored at TI. Results : The incidence of physical disability was 41.4 % for men and 57.6 % for women. For disability in mobility, the incidence was 37.1 % for men and 54.7 % for women. In multivariate analysis, predictors o f physical disability were social category (clerks), no physical activ ities, use of medicine, mental impairment. The predictors of disabilit y in mobility were sex (women), social category (clerks), use of medic ine, cardio-respiratory and sensory impairments, On the contrary subje cts with mental impairment had a fewer incidence of disability in mobi lity than subjects without mental impairment. Conclusion : The results confirm the two poles of disability : biomedical and social. Working conditions during working life do not seem to play a direct part in in cidence of disability at ten years follow-up.