Assessment of functional status in the performance of activities of daily living amongst elderly in sub urban population of India

The health status of elderly people can be very well evaluated through their functional assessment in the performance of Activities of Daily living. A descriptive study was undertaken in a sub urban colony of Chandigarh with an objective to assess the dependency level in the performance of Activities of Daily Living in elderly people. Using Systematic Random Sampling technique 300 subjects were undertaken for the study. Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living was used to assess the dependency level in the performance of activities of daily living. Maximum subjects (72%) were in the age group of 60–69 years. About 60% were females and were married. 39% were widow/widower. Sixty five percent of subjects were illiterate and majority (83%) were not working. Around eighty two percent of the subjects were found to be fully functional in the performance of their activities such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence and feeding. 16.3% were dependent for the activity of toileting followed by the activities of transferring, dressing, and bathing. Females were significantly more functional and had less impairment than men. (÷2 =15.09, p<0.001)