FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE-YEAR CHANGE I N FUNCTIONAL STATUS OF ELDERLY COMMUNITY DWELLERS

The purpose of the study was to examine the incidence and reversibilit y of disability among elderly people over one year follow-up and to de termine the predictors of functional changes. The population used in t his analysis consisted in 1850 subjects aged 65 and over included in t he PAQUID cohort and visited again at one year follow-up. Disability w as measured by Katz's scale (Activities of Daily Living or ADLs), Lawt on's scale (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living or IADLs) and a mo bility scale. The one year incidence of the dependency was 5.6 % for A DLs, 10. 8 % for IADLs, and 3.3 % for mobility. Being dependent at bas eline was associated with an increased risk of one year mortality comp rised between 3.3 and 5.3 according to the measurement scale. Recovery back to independence was frequent however, especially for ADLs (44.7 %) and mobility (28.9 %). Predictors of disability were : age in all s cales, vision impairment and Mini Mental State Examination score for I ADL and mobility scales, depressive symptomatology for ADLs, female se x and breathlessness for IADLs. Absence of cognitive impairment at bas eline was associated with recovery to independence in all scales.