Psychological and Physical Functioning Difficulties Associated with Complex Activity Limitations among U.S. Adults
CDC STACKS serves as an archival repository of CDC-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other public health information authored or co-authored by CDC or funded partners. As a repository, CDC STACKS retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
i

Psychological and Physical Functioning Difficulties Associated with Complex Activity Limitations among U.S. Adults

Filetype[PDF-384.22 KB]


English

Details:

  • Alternative Title:
    Disabil Health J
  • Personal Author:
  • Description:
    Background

    There is limited research that assesses psychological functioning categorically as a predictor of complex activity limitations either alone or in conjunction with physical functioning.

    Objectives

    This paper assesses the impact of psychological and/or physical functioning difficulties as predictors of complex activity limitations among U.S. adults, using data from a national survey.

    Methods

    Data come from the 2006–2010 National Health Interview Survey among U.S. adults 18 or older (n=124,337). We developed a combined physical/psychological exposure variable with six categories: 1) no/low psychological distress (LPD) and absence of physical functioning difficulties, 2) moderate psychological distress (MPD) only, 3) serious psychological distress (SPD) only, 4) physical functioning difficulty only, 5) MPD and physical functioning difficulties, and 6) SPD and physical functioning difficulties. Selected complex activity limitations include daily living, social and work limitations.

    Results

    Compared to adults with LPD and absence of physical functioning difficulties, the results demonstrated a clear and significant gradient of increasing risk of complex activity limitations beginning with MPD only, SPD only, physical functioning difficulty only, both MPD and physical functioning difficulties, and SPD and physical functioning difficulties.

    Conclusions

    The data suggest a stronger risk of complex activity limitations when increasing psychological functioning difficulties coexist with physical functioning difficulties, leading to potential interference with a person’s ability to accomplish major life activities measured in this study. The sizeable contribution of psychological distress to the prevalence of basic actions difficulty implies that the mental health component of functional limitations is important in the overall assessment of health and well-being.

  • Subjects:
  • Source:
  • Pubmed ID:
    25239646
  • Pubmed Central ID:
    PMC4757842
  • Document Type:
  • Funding:
  • Place as Subject:
  • Volume:
    8
  • Issue:
    1
  • Collection(s):
  • Main Document Checksum:
  • Download URL:
  • File Type:

You May Also Like

Checkout today's featured content at stacks.cdc.gov