The prevalence of functional disability and its impact on older adults in the ASEAN region: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Functional disability is a common consequence of the ageing process and can lead to poor health outcomes due to the inability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) independently. However, the prevalence of functional disability among older adults in the ASEAN region is poorly documented. This study aims to assess the prevalence of functional disability and its impact on older adults in the ASEAN region.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on four databases from inception until March 2021 to identify for studies examining individuals aged 60 years and above reporting functional disabilities in the ASEAN region. Prevalence and impact of functional disability were extracted, assessed for bias, summarised and analysed using random-effects meta-analysis.Results: Thirty-four studies reporting 59,944 participants were included. Pooled prevalence of found that ADL disability was 21.5% (95% confidence interval: 16.2% to 27.3%) and IADL disability was 46.8% (35.5% to 58.3%). Subgroup analyses showed higher prevalence among those of advanced age and females. Adverse impacts include increased years of life with disability and poor health-related quality of life.Conclusions: Functional disability is experienced by nearly a quarter of the older adult population in the ASEAN region. Findings highlight the need for further research on functional disability burden and impact within this region to allow decision makers to gauge the severity of the issue, to develop policies to reduce the risk of developing functional disabilities and foster healthy ageing.

Bidirectional association between functional disability and multimorbidity among middle-aged and older adults in Thailand

“…Compared to these prevalence rates of functional disability in Thailand (<10%), much higher rates were found among older adults (≥50 years) in the six LMICs, namely, China (16.2%), India (55.7%), Ghana (44.0%), South Africa (38.6%), Mexico (38.8%), and Russia (43.1%) (15). Furthermore, we found that consistent with previous research (6,9,15,29,32,38,40), both MM and functional disability increased with age, decreased with higher education, and decreased with higher income. In line with previous studies (32), the prevalence of MM was higher in women than in men, while functional disability did not differ by sex, as found previously (29,38,39).…”

“…Furthermore, we found that consistent with previous research (6,9,15,29,32,38,40), both MM and functional disability increased with age, decreased with higher education, and decreased with higher income. In line with previous studies (32), the prevalence of MM was higher in women than in men, while functional disability did not differ by sex, as found previously (29,38,39). The prevalence of MM and functional disability was higher among those who were physically inactive, which is consistent with previous research (32,34,40,43,44).…”

“…Multimorbidity is implicated in various negative health outcomes, such as increased mental morbidity, disability, increased healthcare utilization, adverse drug events, and death ( 7 , 25 – 27 ). Similarly, functional disability is associated with increased hospitalization ( 28 ), poor self-rated quality of life ( 29 ), and mortality ( 30 , 31 ). Previous studies have shown that demographic factors, such as older age and female sex ( 32 ), lower socioeconomic status ( 6 , 9 ), and lifestyle factors, such as smoking ( 33 ), alcohol use ( 32 , 33 ), physical inactivity ( 32 , 34 ), body weight status and obesity ( 32 , 35 ), and lack of social engagement ( 36 , 37 ) were associated with MM.…”

Mental distress and incident functional disability among a rural ageing population in South Africa

“…Chan School of Public Health, Office of Human Research Administration (ref. C13–1608–02), and the Mpumalanga Provincial Research and Ethics Committee” 6 . All participants provided written informed consent.…”

“…3 Among older adults in South Africa, 37.2% of the participants had "moderate or severe and/or very severe functional disability." 4 Functional disability is associated with increased hospitalization, 5 poor self-rated quality of life, 6 and mortality. [7][8][9] Therefore, it would be important to identify modifiable factors, such as mental symptoms, that can delay or prevent functional disability from occurring in older age.…”