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. 2017 Sep;65(9):1939-1945.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.14918. Epub 2017 Apr 27.

Caregiving for Older Adults with Obesity in the United States

Claire K Ankuda  1   2 , John Harris  3 , Katherine Ornstein  4 , Deborah A Levine  5   6   7   8 , Kenneth M Langa  6   7   8   9 , Amy S Kelley  4
Affiliations

Caregiving for Older Adults with Obesity in the United States

Claire K Ankuda et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the difference in receipt of activity of daily living (ADL) assistance between obese and normal-weight older adults.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: National Health and Aging Trends Study, 2011-2015.

Participants: U.S. adults aged 65 and older with ADL disability and a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5 kg/m2 or greater (N = 5,612) MEASUREMENTS: BMI was classified as normal weight (18.5-24.9 kg/m2 ), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m2 ), or obese (≥30.0 kg/m2 ). Primary outcome was self-reported receipt of help with specific ADLs. Models were adjusted for demographic characteristics (age, sex, race), degree of need (self-reported general health, severity of disability), household resources (income, marriage, people in household, number of children), and cognitive status (dementia, proxy respondent).

Results: Obese with disabilities had lower rates of receiving assistance with walking inside (odds ratio (OR) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50-0.81), walking outside (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.59-0.97), toileting (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.52-0.89), and getting in and out of bed (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.50-0.87) than normal-weight older adults after adjustment for respondent demographic characteristics. Level of need and cognitive status partially explained the associations. In fully adjusted models, older adults with obesity still had significantly lower odds of receiving assistance in getting in and out of bed than normal weight adults (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.49-0.98).

Conclusion: Older adults with obesity are less likely to receive assistance for ADL disabilities than their normal-weight counterparts-an important concern because of ongoing demographic changes in the United States.

Keywords: aging; caregiving; disability; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Hypotheses for association between obesity and lower rates of assistance.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of specific activities of daily living disabilities in adults age 65 and older by body mass index (BMI).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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