Defining profiles of functional limitations in groups of older persons: how and why?

OBJECTIVE

Addressing the complexity of multiple health problems in the older population, the objective was to identify combinations of functional limitations for use in simulation analysis, to enable predictions of the potentially most severe person-environment fit (i.e., accessibility) problems among groups of older persons.

METHOD: Utilizing data from 1,542 persons aged 75 to 89 years and applying Configuration Frequency Analysis, we tested which combinations of functional limitations that occurred more or less often than expected. Significant combinations were defined as type profiles and used in simulated accessibility analyses.

RESULTS

Eleven combinations occurred more often and eight less often than expected (p < .05). Simulations with ten type profiles predicted varied patterns of accessibility problems.

CONCLUSION

The use of type profiles has potential to contribute to the knowledge of combinations of functional limitations among groups of older persons. Variation in predicted accessibility problems for different type profiles helps identifying priorities in societal planning.