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Functional outcomes

Getting older is fine if one can move around and stay independent. Therefore, physical health, here referred to as ‘functional status’, is a key element of healthy aging. It was assessed by self-reported measures such as questionnaires (Activities of Daily Living) and objective measures such as performance-based tests of limitations.

The Seven Countries Study and its related studies found associations among personal characteristics and functional status and disability. See the links below for the full stories.

Hand-grip strength and disability

Hand-grip strength related to lower disability Hand-grip strength at baseline was inversely related to 4-year disability in rural elderly men in Italy. Of the men with [...]

Hand-grip strength and disability

Widowhood and disability

The associations of different aspects of widowhood with disability were investigated in elderly men from Finland, Italy and The Netherlands in the FINE Study.

Widowhood and disability

Physical activity and disability

The results suggest that even in old age among relatively healthy men, a physically active lifestyle was inversely related to disability.

Physical activity and disability

Cardiovascular risk factors and disability

There is some evidence that classic cardiovascular risk factors measured in middle-age are related to disability and mental well-being in later life.

Cardiovascular risk factors and disability

Measuring functional status

Functional status was measured with a self-administered 13-item WHO-questionnaire on activities of daily living.

Measuring functional status

Disability and depressive symptoms

In elderly men from Finland, Italy and the Nethelands in the FINE Study, self-reported information on disability and depressive symptoms was collected in 1990 and 1995.

Disability and depressive symptoms

Functional status and disability

The number of self-reported disabilities was positively related to the performance-based limitations score and did not differ between countries.

Functional status and disability

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This website was archived in January 2025 and is no longer maintained. The content is preserved for historical purposes and reflects the state of the project as of its last update. Some information may be outdated, links may no longer work, and no further updates or corrections will be made. For inquiries about the project, please consult the original publications. Use this resource with caution, as it may not represent current developments.