Functional independence level of physical activities in elderly people: a population-based study

Abstract

Objective (s): Functional dependence in physical activities is one of the most important health problems among elderly people. This study aimed to examine functional independence level of physical activities among elderly people living in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 421 old adults aged over 60 living in Bandar Abbass, Iran. Using multi-stage sampling method, the participants were randomly selected and completed two valid questionnaires of the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and the Instrumental Activities Daily Living (IADL). Data were analyzed using SPSS17 software. Results: The mean age of participants was 66.7 ± 6.9) and %49.9 was male and % 50.1 was female. According to the results, 1.9 % of elderly (n=8) and 22.1% (n=92) were dependent while doing their daily and instrumental activities respectively. There were significant differences between different groups of participants in terms of doing daily activity due to their age, marital statu, education level and socio-economic factors (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that majority of participants could do their daily activities without help. However, high percentage of elderly need help to do the instrumental activities.

Keywords

• functional independence
• elderly
• population-based study