The association of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, disability, engagement in social activities, and mortality among US adults aged 70 years or older, 1994-2006

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Yong Liu, Emory University; Janet B. Croft, Emory University; Lynda Anderson, Emory University; Anne G. Wheaton, Emory University; Letitia R. Presley-Cantrell, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Earl S. Ford, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-01-01
• Publisher: DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2014 Liu et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/COPD.S53676
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE
• Volume: 9
• Start Page: 75
• End Page: 83
• Keywords: activities of daily living; SUPPORT; ILLNESS; UNITED-STATES; LONELINESS; Science & Technology; LIMITATION; ADL; disability; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY; HEALTH; mortality; Respiratory System; ELDERLY-PEOPLE; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; instrumental activities of daily living; DEPRESSION
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Nutrition

Abstract

Purpose: To assess associations among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), disability as measured by activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL), engagement in social activities, and death among elderly noninstitutionalized US residents. Materials and methods: A nationally representative sample of 9,415 adults who were aged ≥70 years and responded to the Second Supplement on Aging survey in 1994-1996 and mortality follow-up study through 2006 were assessed. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the risk of all-cause mortality in participants with COPD after accounting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and smoking status. Results: At baseline, approximately 9.6% of study participants reported having COPD. Compared with participants without COPD, those with COPD were significantly more likely (P<0.05) to have difficulty with at least one ADL (44.3% versus [vs] 27.5%) and with at least one IADL (59.9% vs 40.2%), significantly less likely to be engaged in social activities (32.6% vs 26.3%), and significantly more likely to die by 2006 (70.7% vs 60.4%; adjusted risk ratio 1.15, P<0.05). The association between COPD and risk for death was moderately attenuated by disability status. Conclusion: COPD is positively associated with disability and mortality risk among US adults aged ≥70 years. The significant relationship between COPD and mortality risk was moderately attenuated, but was not completely explained by stages of ADL and IADL limitations and social activities.