Disability trajectories prior to death for ten leading causes of death among middle-aged and older adults in Taiwan

Abstract Background Prolonged life expectancy is associated with increased prevalence of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the different disability trajectories for the top ten leading causes of death in Taiwan . Methods A total of 2,431 participants aged 50–96 in 1996 from the Taiwan longitudinal study on aging (TLSA) who died from 1996 to 2016 were analyzed. Integration of Cause of Death Data and TLSA helped sort out participants who had died from the ten leading causes of death. The level of physical disability was evaluated with the Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLs), ranging from 0 to 6 points, in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011. A multilevel model was used to investigate the levels and rates of change in disability development before death. Results The outcome of the research showed that the earliest group to experience physical limitation was individuals living with diabetes. The groups with the highest ADL scores were participants with diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and hypertension-related diseases. Most groups reach ADL scores ≥ 1 (mild-level) during 4–6 years before death except chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis and injury. Conclusions People who had died from the ten leading causes of death experienced different disability trajectories before death. The trajectory of the participants who had died from diabetes showed a unique pattern with the earliest occurrence and more severe deterioration in terms of development of disabilities. Disability trajectories provide a prediction of survival status for middle-aged and older adults associated with the ten leading causes of death.

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Disease-related disability burden: a comparison of seven chronic conditions in middle-aged and older adults

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02137-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chieh-Ying Chou ◽

Ching-Ju Chiu ◽

Chia-Ming Chang ◽

Chih-Hsing Wu ◽

Feng-Hwa Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Physical Disability ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Chronic Condition ◽

Disease Diagnosis ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Rates Of Change ◽

Depression Status ◽

Stage Disease

Abstract Background Although previous studies have explored the effect of chronic conditions on physical disability, little is known about the levels and rates of change in physical disability after a chronic condition diagnosis in middle-aged and older adults in the Asian population. The aim of this study is to ascertain the average levels and rates of change in the development of disability after disease diagnosis, as well as to determine the influences of sociodemographic and health-related correlates in the development of disability. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study analyzing data of nationally representative participants aged 50 and over with a chronic condition or having developed one during follow-ups based on data from the 1996–2011 Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA) (n = 5131). Seven chronic conditions were examined. Covariates included age at initial diagnosis, gender, education level, number of comorbidities, and depression status. Physical disability was measured by combining self-reported ADL, IADL, and strength and mobility activities with 17 total possible points, further analyzed with multilevel modeling. Results The results showed that (1) physical disability was highest for stroke, followed by cancer and diabetes at the time of the initial disease diagnosis. (2) The linear rate of change was highest for stroke, followed by lung disease and heart disease, indicating that these diseases led to higher steady increases in physical disability after the disease diagnosis. (3) The quadratic rate of change was highest in diabetes, followed by cancer and hypertension, indicating that these diseases had led to higher increments of physical disability in later stage disease. After controlling for sociodemographic and comorbidity, depression status accounted for 39.9–73.6% and 37.9–100% of the variances in the physical disability intercept and change over time, respectively. Conclusions Despite the fact that a comparison across conditions was not statistically tested, an accelerated increase in physical disabilities was found as chronic conditions progressed. While stroke and cancer lead to disability immediately, conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension give rise to higher increments of physical disability in later stage disease. Mitigating depressive symptoms may be beneficial in terms of preventing disability development in this population.

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