RESEARCH - Disabilities sidelining middle-age adults

[Guest guest]

From WebMD Health News

Bill Hendrick

Disabilities Sidelining Middle-Age Adults

April 12, 2010 — Baby boomers are increasingly reporting

mobility-related problems, such as climbing stairs, stooping down, and

getting out of bed, new research shows.

The finding, an omen for the future of health care costs, comes from

1997-2007 data from the National Health Interview Survey, in which

more than 18,000 people aged 50-64 were asked about any mobility

problems.

These problems included stooping, bending, or kneeling, climbing 10

stairs, standing or sitting for two hours, walking a quarter mile,

lifting and carrying objects weighing 10 pounds, grasping small items,

pushing or pulling a large object, and reaching overhead.

The researchers say more than 40% of people in that age group reported

they had trouble with at least one of the physical functions, and that

many said they had problems doing two or more. Difficulty in four

specific functions -- stooping, standing two hours, walking a quarter

mile, and climbing 10 steps without resting -- significantly increased

over the 11-year period studied.

**************************************

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/720076

Not an MD