LOWER-EXTREMITY FUNCTIONING IN OLDER MEXICAN-AMERICANS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH MEDICAL PROBLEMS

OBJECTIVE: To describe lower-extremity functioning in community-dwelli ng older Mexican Americans and to examine its relationship with medica l problems. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analyses of survey and performance -based data obtained in a population-based study employing area probab ility sampling. SETTING: Households within selected census tracts of f ive Southwestern states: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, an d Texas. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2873 Mexican Americans aged 65 years and older. MEASUREMENTS: A multidimensional questionnaire assessing d emographic, sociocultural, and health variables. Standardized tests of lower-extremity physical functioning included measures of standing ba lance, repeated chair stands, walking, and an overall summary measure. RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that being more than age 75 and female, having arthritis diabetes, visual impairments, or being obese or underweight were all significantly associated with performance on both individual and summary tests of lower-extremity functioning. In s eparate regression analyses, the total number of medical conditions wa s also associated with performance. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of pre dicting performance or inability to complete tests of lower-extremity functioning was greatest for those aged 80 and older, those with arthr itis or diabetes, and those with three or more medical conditions. Bec ause of the high prevalence of diabetes in Mexican Americans, document ation of the association of diabetes with performance-based tests of l ower-extremity functioning may help guide early interventions targeted to prevent progression to more severe limitations or disability.