Prevalence and Factors Associated with Functional Limitations during Aging in a Representative Sample of Spanish Population

Abstract

Objective: To describe the prevalence of functional limitations; and to examine associations between Body Mass Index, age, gender and functional limitations, in a Spanish National representative sample. Patients & methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data drawn from all the participants in the 2014 European Health Survey over 65 years old (N = 5,970). Results: Data showed the men had better perceptions of their functional limitations than women. In the four variables analyzed, men reported fewer limitations than women. Body Mass Index, age and gender were significant predictors of functional limitations. Over 90 years, Body Mass Index was a significant predictor of functional limitation for all activities. Conclusions: Women aged 75 years and older and men starting from 90 years showed high difficulty walking, climbing stairs, bending and carrying loads of 5 kilogrames. In fact gender as a much more important predictor of functional limitations than Body Mass Index.