Severe Disability Rates Increase in Working-Age Populations

In an August 2008 interview with the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), CHP/PCOR faculty member Jay Bhattacharya discusses the constraints that vulnerable populations face when making decisions that affect their health status. Although the United States has seen a decline in rates of severe disability among its' elderly population, continued improvements in elderly health should not be taken for granted. Recent work has shown that rates of severe disability, measured by the inability to perform basic activities of daily living, have been rising in working age populations. The rise of chronic diseases such diabetes, strokes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may play a substantial role in fueling the disability rate among the working age population. In a recent study, Bhattacharya and colleagues examine the extent to which chronic disease trends explain the disability trends among younger populations.

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