The life course of activity limitations: exploring indicators of functional limitations over time

Abstract

Objective: To strengthen the foundations for the use of survey-based measures of functional limitations and to explore associations between limitations in a variety of activities across the adult life course.

Method: Five panels of data from the young and mature women's cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys are used to (a) examine patterns of limitations in activities as women age, (b) compare how limitations develop over the life course, (c) explore how limitations in one activity are associated with limitations in others, and (d) investigate whether limitations develop incrementally or occur in clusters.

Results: We find that scales of functional limitations are not dependent on the age of the respondent, activity limitations emerge in clusters, and relationships between items do not consistently fall into upper and lower body groups.

Discussion: Scales of functional limitations are equally applicable to younger and older women, but further research is needed to compare substantive results using different methods of scale construction.