The disablement process in very late life: A study of the oldest-old in Sweden

The study examines physical and functional health problems and their relati onship to the activity of daily living (ADL) disability experience of a cro ss-section of Swedish men and women aged over 80 years (N = 203). Using a m odel of disablement, the relationships among disability variables were simu ltaneously explored. Results confirmed relatively high rates of disability in this age group, with 36% of respondents having some basic ADL difficulty . Functional impairments (vision and grip strength) and functional limitati ons (upper and lower body limitations and cognition) were strongly related to disability, with functional limitations being a main driving force for d isability. The role of psychosocial variables (depression, subjective healt h, and social integration) was explored through subsequent model testing. R esults showed depression, subjective health, and social integration to pote ntially mediate the influence of risk factors, impairments, and limitations in the model. The study suggests that modifying psychosocial experiences c an greatly affect the disability experience.