지역사회 거주 노인에서 장애 변화의 예측인자

Predictors for Change in Disability in Community-Dwelling Elders

Objectives：This study aimed to identify the predictors for change in disability measured by the Korean version of World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II-K) in community-dwelling elderly population. Methods：Of 1204 community participants aged 65 years or over, 717 were reevaluated by WHODAS II-K 2 years later. At baseline, information on demographic characteristics (age, gender, living area, marital status, and religion), socioeconomic status (education, type of accommodation, number of rooms, previous occupation, current employment, and social network), and clinical characteristics (number of physical illness, depression by the Korean version of Geriatric Mental State Schedule B3, and cognitive impairment by Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination) were collected. Results：Scores on the WHODAS II-K increased by 17.5 in 2 years. Age (B coefficient 0.52, 95% CI：0.21~0.84), number of rooms (B coefficient -1.92, 95% CI：-3.53~-0.30), and depression (B coefficient 1.84, 95% CI：0.43~3.25) were independently significant predictors for change in disability. Conclusion：Change in the level of disability measured by the WHODAS II-K was mainly affected by age, number of rooms, and depression. These results can be useful for the development of community-based health promotion program for the elderly.