IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/eujoag/v19y2022i4d10.1007_s10433-022-00690-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trends in activities of daily living disability among Chinese older adults from 1998 to 2018: an age-period-cohort analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoqian Hu

    (Qingdao University
    Zhejiang University School of Medicine)

  • Shuyan Gu

    (Nanjing University)

  • Xuemei Zhen

    (Shandong University
    Shandong University)

  • Xueshan Sun

    (Zhejiang University School of Medicine)

  • Yuxuan Gu

    (Zhejiang University School of Medicine)

  • Hengjin Dong

    (Zhejiang University School of Medicine
    Zhejiang University School of Medicine)

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the age, period, and cohort effects on trends in activities of daily living (ADL) disability among Chinese older adults; and to explore these three temporal effects on gender and residence disparities in disability. We utilized multiple cross-sectional waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey data (1998–2018), including 89,511 participants aged above 65 years old. Our measurement of disability is the number of ADL items (dressing, bathing, indoor transferring, toileting, eating, and continence) participants can’t perform independently. Hierarchical age-period-cohort cross-classified random effects models were conducted to investigate age, period and cohort trends in ADL disability. Results showed that ADL disability increased with age at an increasing rate. A V-shaped cohort trend and a fluctuated period trend were identified. Females and urban residents were associated with more ADL limitations. When age increased, the gender and residence gaps in disability further increased. The cohort-based gender and residence inequalities in ADL limitations converged with successive cohorts. The period-based residence gap in ADL limitations diverged throughout the 20-year period, while the corresponding period-based change in gender disparity was not significant. These findings suggested that age, period, and cohort had different and independent effects on ADL disability among Chinese older adults. The age effect on trends in ADL is stronger compared to period and cohort effects. The gender and residence disparities in disability increased with age and decreased with successive cohorts. These patterns might help inform healthcare planning and the priorities for medical resource allocation accordingly.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoqian Hu & Shuyan Gu & Xuemei Zhen & Xueshan Sun & Yuxuan Gu & Hengjin Dong, 2022. "Trends in activities of daily living disability among Chinese older adults from 1998 to 2018: an age-period-cohort analysis," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1167-1179, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s10433-022-00690-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00690-6
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10433-022-00690-6
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10433-022-00690-6?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Reither, Eric N. & Hauser, Robert M. & Yang, Yang, 2009. "Do birth cohorts matter? Age-period-cohort analyses of the obesity epidemic in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1439-1448, November.
    2. Zeng Yi & Danan Gu & Kenneth Land, 2007. "The association of childhood socioeconomic conditions with healthy longevity at the oldest-old ages in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 44(3), pages 497-518, August.
    3. Scott Lynch, 2003. "Cohort and life-course patterns in the relationship between education and health: A hierarchical approach," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(2), pages 309-331, May.
    4. Qiushi Feng & Zhihong Zhen & Danan Gu & Bei Wu & Pamela W. Duncan & Jama L. Purser, 2013. "Trends in ADL and IADL Disability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Shanghai, China, 1998-2008," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 68(3), pages 476-485.
    5. Shih-Fan Lin & Audrey N. Beck & Brian K. Finch, 2014. "Black–White Disparity in Disability Among U.S. Older Adults: Age, Period, and Cohort Trends," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 69(5), pages 784-797.
    6. Zhenmei Zhang & Danan Gu & Mark D. Hayward, 2008. "Early Life Influences on Cognitive Impairment Among Oldest Old Chinese," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 63(1), pages 25-33.
    7. Zeng Yi & Danan Gu & Kenneth Land, 2007. "Erratum to: The association of childhood socioeconomic conditions with healthy longevity at the oldest-old ages in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 44(4), pages 1-1, November.
    8. Zachary Zimmer & Linda Martin & Daniel Nagin & Bobby Jones, 2012. "Modeling Disability Trajectories and Mortality of the Oldest-Old in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(1), pages 291-314, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, Xi, 2022. "Early Life Circumstances and the Health of Older Adults: A Research Note," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1158, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    2. Min Gao & Yanyu Li & Shengfa Zhang & Linni Gu & Jinsui Zhang & Zhuojun Li & Weijun Zhang & Donghua Tian, 2017. "Does an Empty Nest Affect Elders’ Health? Empirical Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Chen, Xi & Yan, Binjian & Gill, Thomas M., 2020. "Childhood Circumstances and Health Inequality in Old Age: Comparative Evidence from China and the United States," IZA Discussion Papers 13460, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Ko, Pei-Chun & Yeung, Wei-Jun Jean, 2019. "Childhood conditions and productive aging in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 229(C), pages 60-69.
    5. Ming Wen & Danan Gu, 2011. "The Effects of Childhood, Adult, and Community Socioeconomic Conditions on Health and Mortality among Older Adults in China," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(1), pages 153-181, February.
    6. Xi Chen & Binjian Yan & Thomas M. Gill, 2022. "Childhood Circumstances and Health Inequality in Old Age: Comparative Evidence from China and the USA," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 689-716, April.
    7. Shen, Ke & Zeng, Yi, 2014. "Direct and indirect effects of childhood conditions on survival and health among male and female elderly in China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 207-214.
    8. Ovrum, Arnstein & Gustavsen, Geir Waehler & Rickertsen, Kyrre, 2012. "Health inequalities over the adult life course: the role of lifestyle choices," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 125862, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Mathias Voigt & Antonio Abellán & Julio Pérez & Diego Ramiro, 2020. "The effects of socioeconomic conditions on old-age mortality within shared disability pathways," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, September.
    10. Fubaihui Wang & Qingkai Zhen & Kaigang Li & Xu Wen, 2018. "Association of socioeconomic status and health-related behavior with elderly health in China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-14, September.
    11. Chau-kiu Cheung & Esther Oi-wah Chow, 2020. "Contribution of Wisdom to Well-Being in Chinese Older Adults," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(3), pages 913-930, July.
    12. Akachi, Yoko & Canning, David, 2010. "Health trends in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conflicting evidence from infant mortality rates and adult heights," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 273-288, July.
    13. Gu, Danan & Zhang, Zhenmei & Zeng, Yi, 2009. "Access to healthcare services makes a difference in healthy longevity among older Chinese adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 210-219, January.
    14. Delaruelle, Katrijn & Buffel, Veerle & Bracke, Piet, 2015. "Educational expansion and the education gradient in health: A hierarchical age-period-cohort analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 79-88.
    15. Moorman, Sara M. & Carr, Kyle & Greenfield, Emily A., 2018. "Childhood socioeconomic status and genetic risk for poorer cognition in later life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 219-226.
    16. Lianjie Wang & Yao Tang, 2023. "Changing Trends and the Effectiveness of Informal Care Among Rural Elderly Adults in China," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, October.
    17. Huang, Cheng & Soldo, Beth J. & Elo, Irma T., 2011. "Do early-life conditions predict functional health status in adulthood? The case of Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 100-107, January.
    18. Masters, Ryan K. & Link, Bruce G. & Phelan, Jo C., 2015. "Trends in education gradients of ‘preventable’ mortality: A test of fundamental cause theory," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 19-28.
    19. Zhang, Zhenmei & Gu, Danan & Hayward, Mark D., 2010. "Childhood nutritional deprivation and cognitive impairment among older Chinese people," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(5), pages 941-949, September.
    20. Dong, Hao & Lee, James Z., 2014. "Kinship matters: Long-term mortality consequences of childhood migration, historical evidence from northeast China, 1792–1909," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 274-283.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s10433-022-00690-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.