Today's baby boomers face more disabilities
As the nation's baby boomers age, their health needs grow in volume and complexity. The extent of those needs and their possible impact on the nation's health care system are constantly being assessed by researchers. The latest: aging baby boomers are more likely to have disabilities, according to a new study by UCLA researchers.
The study, to be published in the American Journal of Public Health, examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys for 1988-1994 and 1999 to 2004.
Researchers looked at three age groups 60-69, 70-79 and 80 and older, analyzing such mobility issues as walking from room to room, getting out of bed and doing chores around the house. They found increases in disabilities for all groups, except for those 80 and up.
Disabilities among people in their 60s increased between 40 and 70 percent in all the areas studied, regardless of socioeconomic status, health and weight. Racial minorities and overweight people had even higher increases. Researchers think the nation's changing demographics may have something to do with the trend. Blacks and Hispanics, whose populations are expected to grow the most, are more likely to be poor and obese -- factors that increase the risk of disabilities, the study states.
"Increases in disability in that group are concerning because it's a big group," said Teresa a UCLA professor of medicine and the study's lead author. "We are not sure why the disabilities are going up. But if this trend continues, it could have a major impact on us, due to the resources that will have to be devoted to those people."
Those functional limitations and disabilities are likely to add to the nation's health care costs and have important ramifications for proposals to reform the health care delivery system, the authors write.
More study is needed on why disabilities are on the rise and how much the increase could cost, researchers said.
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Comments
The disabilities among people with Charcot Marie Tooth disease are increasing along with general aging past 50. Most are recieving SSDI or are in the process of applying for it. A large percentage of these people are undereducated, smoke, drink and are obese.
Posted by: Bev | November 14, 2009 12:22 PM
Hello
I have checked that study about Public health which you have given.I think researchers are right that More study is needed on why disabilities are on the rise.Thank you very much for this post.
Posted by: acai berry | November 18, 2009 2:16 AM