Lc. Perkowski et al., LOWER-EXTREMITY FUNCTIONING IN OLDER MEXICAN-AMERICANS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH MEDICAL PROBLEMS, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 46(4), 1998, pp. 411-418
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.