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Journal of Aging and Health
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Gender Differences in Lower Extremity Function in Latin American Elders

Seeking Explanations From a Life-Course Perspective

Beatriz Eugenia Alvarado, MD, PhD

Université de Montréal, Canada, be.alvarado.llano{at}umontreal.ca

Ricardo O. Guerra, PhD

Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Maria Victoria Zunzunegui, PhD

Université de Montréal, Canada

Objective: The authors examined the contribution of life-course exposures to gender differences in mobility in later life. Method: Data originate from a survey of persons aged 60 and older living in six Latin American and Caribbean cities (n = 10,661). Lower extremity limitations (LEL) were defined as the presence of three or more reported difficulties with five activities: lifting and carrying 10 lb, walking several blocks, climbing a flight of stairs, kneeling/ stooping/crouching, and getting up from a chair. Data were pooled after testing homogeneity of effects across cities. A multivariate model was fitted using logistic regression analysis. Complete data analyses were performed on 8,166 (72%) participants. Results: Prevalence of LEL varies across cities (9.3—23.7% in men, 23.3—42.9% in women). Intervening life-course and health factors explained a small proportion of the gender difference in LEL (odds ratio = 2.39; 95% confidence interval = 2.04—2.79). Childhood hunger was predictive of LEL in women, and a stronger association between depression and LEL was found in men than in women. Little education and insufficient income were associated with LEL for both men and women. Discussion: Life-course exposures predict mobility, but further research is needed to identify intervening factors relating gender to mobility in old age.

Key Words: lower extremities • mobility • gender • life course • aging

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Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 19, No. 6, 1004-1024 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0898264307308618
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B. E. Alvarado, M.-V. Zunzunegui, F. Beland, and J.-M. Bamvita
Life Course Social and Health Conditions Linked to Frailty in Latin American Older Men and Women
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