Identifier

etd-07112007-080524

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Kinesiology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Almost 42% of adults over 65 years of age live with at least one disability. Further, people of lower socioeconomic status and Blacks have greater risks for disability than Whites and individuals at higher socioeconomic status. The consequences of disability include loss of independence, decreased quality of life, increased chances of depression, consumption of health care services, and institutionalization. The purpose of this study was to utilize the disablement process framework to examine the contribution of physical function, dyspnea, and pain to disability in activities-of-daily-living (ADL) in culturally diverse older adults (i.e., diverse according to race, income, and education). Participants were 51 older adults (M age = 60.0 years, SD = 9.7) from an urban community center and an independent living housing facility for seniors with fixed incomes who completed the Functional Status Index (FSI), which provides ratings of need for assistance (FSIA) and pain (FSIP) with ADLs, the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance 10-item Test (CS-PFP10), and an analog dyspnea scale. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that CS-PFP10 scores alone account for approximately 21% and 30% of the variance in FSIA scores of the participants from the community center and the housing facility, respectively. Adding FSIP and dyspnea ratings to the prediction model results in explaining an even higher portion of the variance in FSIA scores (36% in the community center and 53% in the housing facility). Based on this model, functional capacity improvement and pain and dyspnea prevention and management should be targeted when designing culturally appropriate strategies for delaying disability and maintaining independent life.

Date

2007

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Rebecca Ellis

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.3381

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Kinesiology Commons

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