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Description:
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Abstract : The purpose of this study is to examine acculturation and disability in Mexican American older adults living independently in the southwestern United States . Design : A prospective cohort study (1993 -2005 ) . Setting : Texas , New Mexico , Colorado , Arizona , and California . Participants : Participants in the Hispanic Established Population for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H -EPESE ) , a population -based sample of 3050 non -institutionalized Mexican -American men and women aged 65 and over . Measures : Variables included three measures of acculturation (English proficiency , English usage , and Mainstream contact ) , risk factors (age , gender , education , marital status , and BMI ) , disablement process factors (chronic pathology , cognitive status , and physical performance ) , and activities of daily living disability (ADLs ) , and instrumental activities of daily living disability (IADLs ) . Chi -Square , Chi -Square test for trends , ordinary least squares regression and discrete hazard analyses were used to identify associations of measures of acculturation with incidence of ADL and IADL disability . Results : There was a significant association between one measure of acculturation (English proficiency ) and incidence of IADL disability , which remained after adding risk factors and Disablement process variables to the model . Conclusion : The findings support the importance of acculturation when examining ADL and IADL disability . Interventions that consider acculturation may be useful in reducing ADL and IADL disability in Mexican American older adults . |