IMPACT OF JOINT IMPAIRMENT ON LONGITUDINAL DISABILITY IN ELDERLY PERSONS

Recent longitudinal data indicating that arthritis is a major contribu tor to disability in elderly persons are based on self-reported diagno stic information. This longitudinal study included baseline physical e xaminations of joints of 541 persons over age 60. Previous results fro m a cross-sectional multivariate model of disability in this sample fo und that joint impairment (and, its absence, arthritis pain) explained a significant proportion of variance in overall disability. We have r etested this model using generalized estimation equations (GEE) analys is to estimate the effect of joint impairment and arthritis pain on ba seline and Year 2 disability. Findings indicate that baseline joint im pairment contributes substantially to longitudinal disability. If dire ct measures of baseline joint impairment are unavailable, concurrent s elf-reported arthritis pain also predicts longitudinal disability well . These findings indicate that longitudinal studies should monitor art hritis pain and that symptomatic arthritis is a risk factor for future disability.