DISABILITY AND PRINCIPAL LIFETIME OCCUPATION IN THE ELDERLY

This study addresses the relationship of disability with principal lif etime occupation in the elderly. Daily function, cognitive, and physic al health variables were assessed in an Italian population of 524 comm unity-dwelling elders aged seventy and over. Farmers had 1.4 (95% C.I. : 0.6 to 2.2) instrumental daily functions lost higher than white-coll ar workers. Adjustment for age, education, and financial dissatisfacti on with multiple linear regression analysis decreased the difference t o a still significant figure of 0.9 (95% C.I.: 0.1 to 1.7). On the con trary, adjustment only for cognitive status resulted in complete disap pearance of the association [:0.2 functions lost (95% C.I.: -0.5 to 0. 9)]. The data indicate that greater disability in the most disadvantag ed occupational groups may be due to poorer cognition.