Prevalence of Disability and Relevant Risk Factors In Elderly Dwellers in Isfahan Province-2012

Objectives: Due to the increasing elderly population in the country, this study was conducted to determine the level of disability and associated factors, in order to plan for the prevention of disability and reduce the effects of aging. Methods & Materials: This study was conducted through cross-sectional, descriptive analysis and cluster sampling method among 300 patients aged 60 years and older in 8 districts of 14 urban areas of Esfahan. The Data was collected through face to face interviews at elderly people's home. The data collection tool was a questionnaire consisted of two parts: The first section contained demographic, socioeconomic, disease and the needs of the studied population and the second part WHODAS (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule) standard questionnaire, from the World Health Organization resources. The data were analysed through descriptive and analytic statistics. Results: The mean age of the total study population were 71.4 years old, and the median age was 70 years. Among the studied population 15.7 had no disability and most of them (33.3%) were suffering from low levels of disability. The highest rate of people without disabilities - regardless of employed people - reffered to cope and live with other people (63.3%). However, the highest rate of severe disability was related to the mobility and doing the daily duties (25.3%). Disability scores increased with age (r=0.4) and decreased significantly with income enhancement (r=-0.3). Moreover, women, widows, those who were living with people other than family, illiteracy and workers had a significantly more disability. Considering disorders and diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, urinary and faecal incontinence, speech disorder, brain stroke, ataxia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, cognitive and memory disorders were more severe disabilities. So that the mean disability score (out of 100) in patients with the musculoskeletal diseases was approximately 2.7 times, Alzheimer's 2.6 times, Parkinson's 2.7 times, and for urinary and faecal incontinence, speech disorder, brain stroke, cognitive and memory disorders 2 times more. Conclusion: Considering age as an effective factor of disability, it is necessary to contrive ways to postpone disability to older ages and provide rehabilitation services to preserve the independence and improve the performance of elderly especially older women. According to the results of this study, it seems that the most major diseases which cause disability in elderly people are musculoskeletal disorders and depression. Considering these results, it is necessary to provide early diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation facilities for elderly