Gender difference in the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of mobility disability among older adults in Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to examine gender differences in mobility disability among older people in Nigeria, and to explore factors associated with gender differences in mobility disability in later life. Data were used from the first (2010-2011) wave of the Nigeria General Household Survey-Panel, which included 3586 respondents aged 50 years and above. Mobility disability was assessed as self-reported difficulty in walking 100 m, walking 1 km, walking uphill, running, bending or stooping, and climbing stairs. Regression analyses were used to estimate the extent to which socio-demographic conditions contribute to gender differences in mobility disability. We observed a higher prevalence of mobility disability among women compared to men (20.1 vs. 12.5 %, P \ 0.001). The prevalence ratios (PR) of mobility disability for women versus men was 1.61 (95 % CI 1.38-1.88, P \ 0.001); after adjusting for age, marital status, place of residence, self-reported health status and cognitive difficulties, the PR was 1.55 (95 % CI 1.30-1.85, P \ 0.001).In the fully adjusted model, mobility disability still remained significantly higher among women (PR 1.60, 95 % CI 1.32-1.93, P \ 0.001). The marginal effects of socio-demographic and health factors were stronger for women than for men. Socio-demographic and health variables considered in this study explained between 19.3 % (men) and 22.3 % (women) of variance in mobility disability suggesting that additional factors beyond those considered in this study warrant further investigation, so that differences in mobility disability between older men and women in Nigeria can be fully understood.

Socio-demographic differences of disability prevalence among the population aged 60 years and over in Bangladesh

“…with a similar gender disparity as shown in studies from other developing countries (Balogun & Guntupalli, 2016). However, the disability prevalence rate is a much lower than reported in other survey studies conducted in Bangladesh (Cherry et al, 2012;Tareque et al, 2013) as well as in international studies.…”

The Effects of Chronic Conditions and Elderly Background on the Development of Elderly Mobility Function

“…However, in general, the elderly who lived alone (not married, divorced, or widowed), especially men, highly risked to have mobility limitation [30]. Similarly, the residence area variable in this study statistically did not affect significantly the elderly mobility limitations; and it is also in line with several previous researches [5] [8].…”

“…The lack of hearing, vision, mobility, and increased risk of non-communicable diseases will appear along with the aging process [3] [4]. The mobility function plays an important role in the healthy aging, closely related to the quality of life of the elderly [5]. The mobility function usually deteriorates in old age, but in a different course, extent and speed for each individual [6].…”

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

“…Previous studies have shown that sociodemographic variables are associated with disabilities, including age, gender, marital status, education, and economic status. Disability has been shown to be more common in females and in divorced/separated/widowed respondents, and has been positively associated with increasing age and inversely associated with education and economic status [ 28 , 29 ]. In the current study, subjects who were older at the initial diagnosis, female, who had lower educational levels had higher levels of physical disability for all chronic conditions, which was consistent with the findings of prior studies [ 28 , 29 ].…”