Can we determine whether physical limitations are more prevalent in the US than in countries with comparable life expectancy?

ABSTRACT: We evaluate the variability in estimates of self-reported physical limitations by age across four nationally representative surveys in the US. We consider its implications for determining whether, as previous literature suggests, the US estimates reveal limitations at an earlier age than in three countries with similar life expectancy: England, Taiwan, and Costa Rica. Based on cross-sectional data from seven population-based surveys, we use local mean smoothing to plot self-reported limitations by age for each of four physical tasks for each survey, stratified by sex. We find substantial variation in the estimates in the US across four nationally-representative surveys. For example, one US survey suggests that American women experience a walking limitation 15 years earlier than their Costa

SUBMITTER: Glei DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5769036 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature