The Prediction of Mortality by Disability Among Dutch Community-Dwelling Older People

Examination of reliability and validity of the Self-Assessment Burden Scale-Motor for community-dwelling older adults in Japan: a validation study

Background

The aging society in Japan is progressing rapidly compared with that in the United States and European countries. Aging limits activities of daily living (ADL) in older adults, declining their lives and functions at home. Therefore, improving their ADL to effectively support their functioning at home for as long as possible is vital. Consequently, supporters need to have a common understanding, be promptly aware of the decline in ADL, and quickly introduce rehabilitation. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Barthel Index (BI) are the main scales used to quantitatively assess ADL. However, previous studies have reported that FIM requires specialized knowledge for evaluation, and BI does not appropriately capture changes in ADL. The Self-Assessment Burden Scale-Motor (SAB-M) was developed as a scale for family caregivers to appropriately assess changes in ADL in older adults. Previous studies using the SAB-M have confirmed its reliability and validity in hospitalized patients as assessed by their family caregivers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the SAB-M among community-dwelling older adults as assessed by their family caregivers.

Methods

This study included community-dwelling older adults who received home-visit rehabilitation at the first author's facility between October 2020 and December 2020 in Japan. Following previous studies, the SAB-M was used by family caregivers to assess 20 older adults twice for intra-rater reliability. Furthermore, 168 older adults were evaluated by family caregivers for internal consistency using the SAB-M. For criterion validity, the SAB-M was used for the assessment by family caregivers, and therapists used the FIM-Motor (FIM-M). This study used the weighted kappa, Cronbach's alpha, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients for the statistical analysis of intra-rater reliability, internal consistency, and criterion validity, respectively.

Results

The weighted kappa coefficient for the total score was 0.98 (p < 0.01) and individual item, it was 0.93 for feeding (p < 0.01), 0.91 for bathing (p < 0.01), 0.98 for dressing (p < 0.01), 0.94 for transfer (p < 0.01), 0.94 for walking/wheelchair (p < 0.01), 0.95 for stairs (p < 0.01), and 0.96 for bladder management (p < 0.01). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.93 for the seven items. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficient between the SAB-M and FIM-M scores was 0.91 (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The SAB-M has sufficient reliability and validity among community-dwelling older adults. Family caregivers can routinely assess changes in the ADL of community-dwelling older adults using the SAB-M, enabling them to promptly consider introducing rehabilitation when older adults' ADL declines. Therefore, implementing SAB-M helps older adults live and function at home for as long as possible.

The Promise of Endovascular Neurotechnology: A Brain-Computer Interface to Restore Autonomy to People With Motor Impairment

ABSTRACT

This Joel A. DeLisa Lecture on endovascular brain-computer interfaces was presented by Dr Thomas Oxley on February 23, 2023, at the Association of Academic Physiatrists Annual Scientific Meeting. The lecture described how brain-computer interfaces replace lost physiological function to enable direct communication between the brain and external digital devices, such as computers, smartphones, and robotic limbs. Specifically, the potential of a novel endovascular brain-computer interface technology was discussed. The brain-computer interface uses a stent-electrode array delivered via the jugular vein and is permanently implanted in a vein adjacent to the motor cortex. In a first-in-human clinical trial, participants with upper limb paralysis who received the endovascular brain-computer interface could use the system independently and at home to operate laptop computers for various instrumental activities of daily living. A Food and Drug Administration-approved trial of the endovascular brain-computer interface in the United States is in progress. Future development of the system will provide recipients with continuous autonomy through digital access with minimal caregiver assistance. Physiatrists and occupational therapists will have a vital role in helping people with paralysis achieve the potential of implantable brain-computer interfaces.

The Prediction of Quality of Life by Frailty and Disability among Dutch Community-Dwelling People Aged 75 Years or Older

The present study aimed to examine the prediction of quality of life by frailty and disability in a baseline sample of 479 Dutch community-dwelling people aged 75 years or older using a follow-up period of 8 years. Regarding frailty, we distinguish between physical, psychological, and social frailty. Concerning physical disability, we distinguish between limitations in performing activities in daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities in daily living (IADL). The Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS) were used to assess frailty domains and types of disability, respectively. Quality of life was determined by the WHOQOL-BREF containing physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. In our study, 53.9% of participants were woman, and the mean age was 80.3 years (range 75-93). The study showed that psychological frailty predicted four domains of quality of life and physical frailty three. Social frailty was only found to be a significant predictor of social quality of life and environmental quality of life. ADL and IADL disability proved to be the worst predictors. It is recommended that primary healthcare professionals (e.g., general practitioners, district nurses) focus their interventions primarily on factors that can prevent or delay psychological and physical frailty, thereby ensuring that people's quality of life does not deteriorate.

Toward a prognostic model for all-cause mortality among old people with disability in long-term care in China

BACKGROUND

Current prognostic model of all-cause mortality may not be applicable for old people with disability in long-term care due to the absence of injury- and care-related predictors. We aimed to develop a prognostic model specifically tailored to this population, based on comprehensive predictors.

METHOD

We conducted a prospective study involving 41,004 participants aged ≥60 with disability in long-term care across 16 study sites in Southwest China from 2017 to 2021. Participants' demographics, clinical characteristics, disability status, and injury- and care-related information at baseline were used as candidate predictors. We employed a LASSO Cox regression model to develop the prognostic model using the training set (70 % of participants), and the predictive performance was validated in the validation set (30 % of participants). The prognostic index (PI) scores of the prognostic model were used to quantify mortality risk.

RESULTS

At the end of the 4-year follow-up, 17,797 deaths (43.4 %) were observed. The prognostic model revealed several powerful and robust predictors of mortality across the total sample and subgroups, including higher age, living with comorbidities, physical and perceptual disability, and living with pressure sores. Non-professional care was an additional predictor in older participants. The risk of death for participants in the highest quartile of PI scores was approximately four-fold higher compared to those in the lowest quartile.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and validated a prognostic model that can be practically utilized to identify individuals and populations at risk of death among old people with disability in long-term care.

Disparities in overall survival by varying duration of disability in activities of daily living in older people: A population-based cohort from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS)

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between duration of disability in activity of daily living (ADL) and overall survival in older individuals.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Community-based data from Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, 13,560 participants without ADL disability and 2772 participants with ADL disability at baseline were included.

MEASUREMENTS

ADL disability was assessed using Katz index scale, which included six essential ADLs: dressing, bathing, transferring, toileting, continence, and eating. Dependence of each item was scored on a scale of 1, the maximum total score was 6. At baseline, duration of ADL disability was defined as the maximum duration among the six items. The study outcome was overall survival. Accelerated failure time models were constructed to investigate the association between duration of ADL disability and overall survival. Subgroup analyses by sex, age, and multimorbidites, as well as sensitive analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

During 81,868.7 person-years follow-up, 11,092 deaths were recorded. Overall, ADL disability was associated with lower overall survival compared to non-ADL disability. With duration of ADL disability extending, the overall survival strikingly dropped in the first 12 months, reaching its lowest point with adjusted time ratio (TR) at 0.66 (95%CI: 0.61-0.72, p < 0.001), then moderately grew until the 60th month, finally stayed constant thereafter. Participants with ADL scores of 1-3 had higher survival compared to those with scores of 4-6, and both groups followed a similar trend of varied survival to the whole cohort. Moreover, subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses showed the robustness of these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings first address a golden time window for the older individuals with ADL disability. More attention should be given to them, especially in the first 12 months since diagnosis, to reduce mortality and extend the lifespan.

Disability transitions in Dutch community-dwelling older people aged 75 years or older

BACKGROUND

Recent world population predictions show that the world population aged >=65 years will increase from 10% in 2022 to 16% in 2050. Population aging is accompanied by an increase in people with disability. It is important to pay special attention to people with disability, as these people are at high risk of adverse outcomes. Our study aimed to investigate the transitions of disability among Dutch community-dwelling older people aged 75 years or older, using a follow-up of nine years. We used socio-demographic factors gender, age, marital status, education, and income, but also lifestyle, diseases, and life events to predict the disability transitions over time.

METHODS

We used a sample of 484 people that was randomly drawn from the municipality of Roosendaal (the Netherlands), a municipality with 78,000 inhabitants. A subset of people who completed part A of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) at baseline and the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale (GARS) questionnaires was used with a nine-year follow-up. Paired Wilcoxon tests were used to compare the consecutive measurements. Socio-demographic factors gender, age, marital status, education, and income, but also lifestyle, diseases, and life events were included to predict the disability transitions over time. For the univariable and multivariable analysis of the measurements over time with the predictor variables, we used generalized estimation equations (GEE). A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. R version 3.4.4 was used for all analyses.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 65% were younger than 80 years, 50% were married or cohabiting, 87% reported a healthy lifestyle, and 63% had no diseases or chronic disorders. Each year, more participants changed from status not disabled to disabled than vice versa. The GEE analyses showed that lifestyle ('not healthy') and diseases or chronic disorders ('two or more') were significant in the multivariable analysis for the disability score and only diseases or chronic disorders ('two or more') was significant in the multivariable analysis for the dichotomous disability score.

CONCLUSIONS

The transition of the disability score is strongly influenced by lifestyle and diseases or disorders. This applies to a lesser extent to the dichotomous disability score. There, only diseases or disorders are an important predictor. For health care professionals our study provides starting points for interventions focused on the prevention of worsening disability and for community-dwelling older people >= 75, the most important recommendation is: live healthy!

Clinical Significance of Biological Age in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

OBJECTIVE

To test whether biological age calculated using deficits, functional impairments, or their combination will provide improved estimation of long-term mortality among older adults undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Cardiovascular deficits, noncardiovascular deficits, and functional impairments were prospectively studied in 535 patients aged 55 years or older from August 1, 2014, to March 31, 2018. Models for biological age included deficits (acquired, increase with age, associated with worse prognosis, did not saturate early), functional impairments (subjective-help with daily activities, difficulty with sensory input, continence, weight, balance, mobility; or objective-timed up and go, functional reach), or their combination.

RESULTS

The mean ± SD age of the study patients was 72.1±9.5 years. For every 5-year increase in chronological age, the mean number of cardiovascular deficits increased from 2.36 among patients younger than 70 years to 3.44 in nonagenarians. The mean number of functional impairments increased from 2.15 for those younger than 70 years to 6.74 for nonagenarians. During a median follow-up of 2.05 years, 99 patients died. Significant improvement in the Harrell concordance index (C index) for prediction of long-term all-cause mortality was noted with biological age calculated from deficits and impairments compared with chronological age (0.77 vs 0.65; P<.001) and when estimating biological age via functional impairments alone vs chronological age (0.75 vs 0.65; P<.001) but not via deficits alone (0.71 vs 0.65; P=.08). Biological age estimates from subjective functional impairments captured most of the prognostic information related to all-cause and noncardiac mortality, whereas deficit-based estimation favored cardiovascular mortality.

CONCLUSION

The derivation of biological age from deficits and functional impairments provides a major improvement in the estimation of survival as estimated by chronological age.

Sex differences in the risk factors of disability among community-dwelling older adults with hypertension: Longitudinal results from the Health, Aging, and Retirement in Thailand study (HART)

Background

Hypertension poses a serious health problem among Thai older adults which could subsequently lead to disability. However, little to no research has been conducted to understand modifiable risk factors of disability among community-dwelling older adults with hypertension in Thailand. In addition, sex is an important social determinant of health, but its role in disability among older adults with hypertension is less clear.

Objectives

This study focused on community-dwelling older adults with hypertension in Thailand and investigated predictors of disability and examined sex differences in the risk factors that were associated with disability in this population.

Methods

Longitudinal data were from the Health, Aging, and Retirement in Thailand (HART) survey (2015-2017; N = 916). The outcome variable was difficulty with the activity of daily living at follow-up. Potential risk factors included sociodemographic information, health behaviors/health status, and disability at baseline. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression analysis were employed to analyze the data.

Results

Most of the participants were female and between aged 60 and 69 years old. Being in an older age group (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.07-2.97, p < 0.05), having more chronic conditions (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10-1.73, p < 0.01), experiencing obesity (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.11-3.69, p < 0.05), and having disability at baseline (OR = 2.42, 95% CI: 1.09-5.37, p < 0.05) significantly predicted disability at 2 year follow-up among community-dwelling Thai older adults with hypertension. The effects of these risk factors on disability at follow-up did not differ by sex. However, different risk factors of disability were observed across sexes.

Conclusion

The situations of disability among older adults with hypertension in Thailand are likely to aggravate due to the rapid aging of the population. Our analysis provided useful information regarding significant predictors of disability and sex-specific risk factors of disability. Tailored promotion and prevention programs should be readily available to prevent disability among community-dwelling older adults with hypertension in Thailand.

Predicting Disability Using a Nomogram of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI)

Disability is associated with lower quality of life and premature death in older people. Therefore, prevention and intervention targeting older people living with a disability is important. Frailty can be considered a major predictor of disability. In this study, we aimed to develop nomograms with items of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) as predictors by using cross-sectional and longitudinal data (follow-up of five and nine years), focusing on the prediction of total disability, disability in activities of daily living (ADL), and disability in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). At baseline, 479 Dutch community-dwelling people aged ≥75 years participated. They completed a questionnaire that included the TFI and the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale to assess the three disability variables. We showed that the TFI items scored different points, especially over time. Therefore, not every item was equally important in predicting disability. 'Difficulty in walking' and 'unexplained weight loss' appeared to be important predictors of disability. Healthcare professionals need to focus on these two items to prevent disability. We also conclude that the points given to frailty items differed between total, ADL, and IADL disability and also differed regarding years of follow-up. Creating one monogram that does justice to this seems impossible.

Trends in health expectancy at age 60 in Bangladesh from 1996 to 2016

BACKGROUND

Life expectancy (LE) is increasing all over the world, and relying on LE alone is no longer sufficient to identify whether a country is having a healthier population. Examining the increase in LE in relation to health - health expectancy estimation - is advised to ascertain the increase (or decrease) in LE without disability over time. This study examines the trends in health expectancy at age 60 in Bangladesh from 1996 to 2016.

METHODS

Mortality information from United Nations and World Health Organization and morbidity information from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics were combined using the Sullivan method.

RESULTS

With an overall declining trend over the study period and a big drop in disability rates during 2012-2013, the disability rates were observed 1.6-1.7% in 2016. The declining trend in disability may have two-fold implications: (1) among the 98.3% older adults (≥60 years) with no severe/extreme disability, those were in jobs could have continued their work if there was no mandatory retirement at age 59, and (2) the 1.7% (translates into 0.2 million in 2020) older adults with severe/extreme disability require care assistance with their daily activities. The observed gain in disability-free life expectancy, the decrease in life expectancy with disability and its proportion allude to the compression of morbidity and healthier older adults over time.

CONCLUSION

In 2020, Bangladesh had 13.2 million (i.e., 8% of the total population) older adults, which is increasing day by day. The policy makers and government are suggested to prioritize the issues of older adults, particularly disability, care needs, retirement age, and health in the light of the current study's findings. Utilizing health expectancy research is suggested to understand the combined effect of disability and mortality for considering policy changes.

Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Population-Based Healthy Aging Scale: Results From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Background

The World Health Organization proposed a multidimensional concept of healthy aging in 2015; there was limited evidence about how the concept was constructed and measured. The current study aims to develop a health aging scale (HAS) following the WHO framework and validate it using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).

Methods

A total of 13,233 adults aged ≥ 45 years old from the CHARLS included in current study. Based on the WHO framework, 37 self-reported indicators were used to determine healthy aging. Exploratory factor analysis and second-order and bi-factor modeling, as well as psychometric coefficients, were used to examine the structure of healthy aging. To assess concurrent validity of the HAS, regression analyses were used to examine the associations of HAS and its subscales with sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, healthcare utilization and life satisfaction in Wave 1. The predictive validity of HAS and subscales was assessed by their associations with mortality in Wave 2 follow-up using Cox regressions.

Results

The general HAS and its five subscales were generated according to bi-factor modeling [CFI = 0.949; TLI = 0.942; SRMSR = 0.030; and RMSEA = 0.033 (95% CI, 0.032–0.034)] and psychometric coefficients (ω = 0.903; ωH = 0.692; ECV = 0.459). The general HAS presented solid evidence of concurrent validity with various sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, healthcare utilization and life satisfaction; and predictive validity with mortality.

Conclusions

The population-based multidimensional healthy aging scale and its subscales can be used to monitor the trajectories of general healthy aging and its subdomains to support the development of healthy aging policies and interventions.

Estimation of Life Expectancy for Dependent Population in a Multi-State Context

Population statistics show that there was an increase in life expectancy during the last century. However, this fact hides that this increase was not equal for all groups of the population. One of the most problematic cases for measuring this increase is that of the dependent population because of the absence of specific statistics. This paper describes a methodology for calculating life expectancy using multistate models that take into account the diversity of situations considered by Spanish legislation. For this purpose, statistical information contained in the national survey on disability and dependency (EDAD 2008) is used. The results suggest that life expectancies are lower than those of the general population and that they differ according to gender and intensity of suffering from this contingency. The calculations were made considering the legal framework currently existing in Spain. This fact conditions the definition of dependent person and, therefore, the set of individuals, their characteristics, and therefore, their final results.

Terminal decline in objective and self-reported measures of motor function before death: 10 year follow-up of Whitehall II cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To examine multiple objective and self-reported measures of motor function for their associations with mortality.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

UK based Whitehall II cohort study, which recruited participants aged 35-55 years in 1985-88; motor function component was added at the 2007-09 wave.

PARTICIPANTS

6194 participants with motor function measures in 2007-09 (mean age 65.6, SD 5.9), 2012-13, and 2015-16.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

All cause mortality between 2007 and 2019 in relation to objective measures (walking speed, grip strength, and timed chair rises) and self-reported measures (physical component summary score of the SF-36 and limitations in basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL)) of motor function.

RESULTS

One sex specific standard deviation poorer motor function in 2007-09 (cases/total, 610/5645) was associated with an increased mortality risk of 22% (95% confidence interval 12% to 33%) for walking speed, 15% (6% to 25%) for grip strength, 14% (7% to 23%) for timed chair rises, and 17% (8% to 26%) for physical component summary score over a mean 10.6 year follow-up. Having basic/instrumental ADL limitations was associated with a 30% (7% to 58%) increased mortality risk. These associations were progressively stronger when measures were drawn from 2012-13 (mean follow-up 6.8 years) and 2015-16 (mean follow-up 3.7 years). Analysis of trajectories showed poorer motor function in decedents (n=484) than survivors (n=6194) up to 10 years before death for timed chair rises (standardised difference 0.35, 95% confidence interval 0.12 to 0.59; equivalent to a 1.2 (men) and 1.3 (women) second difference), nine years for walking speed (0.21, 0.05 to 0.36; 5.5 (men) and 5.3 (women) cm/s difference), six years for grip strength (0.10, 0.01 to 0.20; 0.9 (men) and 0.6 (women) kg difference), seven years for physical component summary score (0.15, 0.05 to 0.25; 1.2 (men) and 1.6 (women) score difference), and four years for basic/instrumental ADL limitations (prevalence difference 2%, 0% to 4%). These differences increased in the period leading to death for timed chair rises, physical component summary score, and ADL limitations.

CONCLUSION

Motor function in early old age has a robust association with mortality, with evidence of terminal decline emerging early in measures of overall motor function (timed chair rises and physical component summary score) and late in basic/instrumental ADL limitations.

A novel Longshi Scale measured activity of daily living disability in elderly patients affected by neurological diseases: a multi-center cross-sectional study in China

Background

Ability in the activities of daily life is often impaired in the older adults with a neurological disease. The Barthel Index is an instrument used worldwide to assess such ability. The Longshi Scale is a picture-based alternative, but its effectiveness has not been evaluated with older adult subjects. This study was to determine whether the Longshi Scale can effectively quantify the ability of older adults in the activities of daily living by comparing its ratings with those using the Barthel Index.

Methods

A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted among patients over 65 years. A total of 2438 patients were divided into three groups, including bedridden, domestic, or community group based on their ability to go out of bed, move outdoors, and return indoors. Their ability in the activities of daily living among three groups was evaluated using both the Longshi Scale and the Barthel Index, and the results were compared.

Results

There was a significant difference in the average Barthel Index scores of three groups classified using the Longshi Scale. The average Longshi Scale scores also showed significant differences between the four groups classified using the Barthel Index. Spearman correlation coefficients showed strong correlation(>0.83) between the Longshi Scale and Barthel Index scores.

Conclusions

The Longshi Scale can efficiently distinguish the ability in the activities of daily living of people with a neurological disease. Its rating correlate well with those using the Barthel Index.

Cross-sectional and prospective association between personality traits and IADL/ADL limitations

Prior research has shown that personality traits are associated with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs). To advance research on the psychological factors related to aging-related functional limitations, this study examined the relation between personality traits and both concurrent and incident functional limitations, tested whether these associations are similar across IADLs and ADLs, and tested potential mediators of these associations. Participants were drawn from eight longitudinal samples from the U.S., England, and Japan. Participants provided data on demographic variables, the five major personality traits, and on the Katz ADL-scale and Lawton IADL-scales. IADL/ADL limitations were assessed again 3-18 years later. A consistent pattern of associations was found between personality traits and functional limitations, with associations slightly stronger for IADLs than ADLs, and robust across samples that used different measures and from different cultural contexts. The meta-analysis indicated that higher neuroticism was related to a higher likelihood of concurrent and incident IADL/ADL limitations, and higher conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness were associated with lower risk. Higher agreeableness was associated with lower risk of concurrent IADL/ADL, but unrelated to incident limitations. Physical activity, disease burden, depressive symptoms, self-rated health, handgrip strength, falls, and smoking status mediated the relation between personality traits and incident IADL/ADL limitations. The present study indicates that personality traits are risk factors for both IADL and ADL limitations across multiple national cohorts, identifies potential mediators, and informs conceptual models on psychological risk factors for functional decline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The prediction of mortality by quality of life assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF: a longitudinal analysis at the domain and item levels using a seven-year follow-up period

PURPOSE

To determine the predictive value of quality of life for mortality at the domain and item levels.

METHODS

This longitudinal study was carried out in a sample of 479 Dutch people aged 75 years or older living independently, using a follow-up of 7 years. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire. Quality of life was assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF, including four domains: physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environment. The municipality of Roosendaal (a town in the Netherlands) indicated the dates of death of the individuals.

RESULTS

Based on mean, all quality of life domains predicted mortality adjusted for gender, age, marital status, education, and income. The hazard ratios ranged from 0.811 (psychological) to 0.933 (social relationships). The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the four domains were 0.730 (physical health), 0.723 (psychological), 0.693 (social relationships), and 0.700 (environment). In all quality of life domains, at least one item predicted mortality (adjusted).

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that all four quality of life domains belonging to the WHOQOL-BREF predict mortality in a sample of Dutch community-dwelling older people using a follow-up period of 7 years. Two AUCs were above threshold (psychological, physical health). The findings offer health care and welfare professionals evidence for conducting interventions to reduce the risk of premature death.

Mortality-and Health-Related Factors in a Community-Dwelling of Oldest-Older Adults at the Age of 90: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study

Mortality is obviously intended for epidemiological studies of community-dwelling older adults. There are several health-related factors associated with nutritional status and mortality. The aim of this study was to elucidate the risk factor for mortality in community-dwelling oldest-older adults at the age of 90 and clarify the structure of health-related factors associated with mortality. A 10-year follow-up study was performed for 93 subjects at the age of 90. The mean and median of their survival days were 2373 and 2581 days for women, and 1694 and 1793 days for men. By Cox's proportional hazards model, health-related factors associated with mortality were self-assessed for chewing ability, activities of daily living (ADLs), serum albumin, total cholesterol, serum creatinine, and gripping power for women but not for men. These factors interacted with each other, and the association of these factors was different in women and men. Self-assessed chewing ability was a powerful risk factor for mortality in women at the age of 90. It acted independently from nutritional status. For older adults, addressing healthy food choices together with improved oral functions is useful. However, risk factors for mortality may depend on the life stage of subjects. To investigate the risk factor for the mortality, the life course approach is necessary.