Transitions in activities of daily living in Mexico, 2001-2012

Objective: This paper describes the 2001-2012 progression of limitations in daily activities in the Mexican elderly population aged 60 or older and identifies how sociodemographic and health factors affect these progressions. Materials and methods: Data come from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), a national sample of adults born in 1951 or earlier, including a baseline survey in 2001 and follow-ups in 2003 and 2012. Results: Difficulty in getting dressed is the activity that has the highest prevalence in all three waves for both genders. In the 11-year transition, 42.8% of the respondents with no limitations in 2001 reported no limitations in 2012. In contrast, 60.8% of those who reported three or more limitations in 2001 had died by 2012. Conclusions: With the rapid aging of the Mexican population, the knowledge of patterns of deterioration of functional limitations will prove useful for future public health policies.