Introduction: Disability, reduces quality of life and independence of older adults and increases their needs to giving caring support. This study was conducted to assess the disability status in the rural older adults in Ilam.
Method: This descriptive-analytical study, was conducted using a two-stage cluster sampling method on 70 older adults who aged 65 years and over in rural areas of Ilam in 2015.WHODAS II questionnaire was used to evaluate disability status in activities of daily living. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 21andusing T-Test and ANOVA.
Results: The findings showed that (21/4%) 15 of older adults had no disability, (25/7%) 18 of them had low disability, (47/1%), 33 of them had moderate disability and only (5/8%) 4 had severe disability. Most disabilities related to job activities and walking, and the lowest ones related to the social and familial activities and interaction with people respectively. Also level of disability had a significant relationship (p <0/ 001) with age, marital status, education and income, but not with gender and occupation (p>0/05).
Conclusion: Most of rural older adults in Ilam had moderate level of disability. So there is a necessity for promotion of healthy lifestyle programs by health care professional with the aim of reducing and prevention of disability in older adults.
Mozafari M, Salimi E, Bastami M, Azami M, Borji M. Disability status in the rural older adults in Ilam. joge 2016; 1 (1) :48-54 URL: http://joge.ir/article-1-72-en.html