TY - JOUR
T1 - Walking difficulty, walking speed, and age as predictors of self-rated health
T2 - The women's health and aging study
AU - Jylhä, M.
AU - Guralnik, J. M.
AU - Balfour, J.
AU - Fried, L. P.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Background. Older persons reporting disability are more likely to report poor self-rated health, but little work has been done to assess the independent relationships of reported walking difficulty and measured walking performance with self-rated health. This study examines the associations of walking difficulty, walking speed, and age with self-rated health in older women. Methods. The data are from the baseline of the Women's Health and Aging Study. Difficulty walking one quarter mile was used as a measure of mobility in the representative population aged 65 and older screened for the study (n = 3841) and in the one third most disabled study group (n = 1002). Maximal walking speed was measured in the study sample. Results. Increasing severity of walking difficulty (in the screened population and in the disabled study group), slower walking speed (in the study group), and younger age were all associated with fair or poor self-rated health, after simultaneous adjustment for these and other objective measures of physical performance and health. The associations of both measures of walking with self-rated health weakened with age. Conclusions. Both walking difficulty and walking speed are independent determinants of self-rated health. Adjusted for health and functioning, self-rated health tends to improve with age.
AB - Background. Older persons reporting disability are more likely to report poor self-rated health, but little work has been done to assess the independent relationships of reported walking difficulty and measured walking performance with self-rated health. This study examines the associations of walking difficulty, walking speed, and age with self-rated health in older women. Methods. The data are from the baseline of the Women's Health and Aging Study. Difficulty walking one quarter mile was used as a measure of mobility in the representative population aged 65 and older screened for the study (n = 3841) and in the one third most disabled study group (n = 1002). Maximal walking speed was measured in the study sample. Results. Increasing severity of walking difficulty (in the screened population and in the disabled study group), slower walking speed (in the study group), and younger age were all associated with fair or poor self-rated health, after simultaneous adjustment for these and other objective measures of physical performance and health. The associations of both measures of walking with self-rated health weakened with age. Conclusions. Both walking difficulty and walking speed are independent determinants of self-rated health. Adjusted for health and functioning, self-rated health tends to improve with age.
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U2 - 10.1093/gerona/56.10.M609
DO - 10.1093/gerona/56.10.M609
M3 - Article
C2 - 11584033
AN - SCOPUS:0034791943
SN - 1079-5006
VL - 56
SP - M609-M617
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
IS - 10
ER -