Prevalence and correlates of disability among urban–rural older adults in Southwest China: a large, population-based study

BACKGROUND: As one of the challenges of aging, older adults with disabilities are often overlooked in remote areas of many developing countries, including southwest China. Similar populations would undoubtedly benefit from a representative, high-quality survey of large samples, which would also enrich global disability data. This study aims to assess the prevalence of disability and associated factors among urban and rural older adults in a typical representative region. METHOD: A large-scale baseline survey was conducted between March and September 2020 using face-to-face interviews with a multistage stratified random sample of 16,536 participants aged ≥ 60 years. Disability was assessed using the BI scale, with a score of 100 representing normal status, 65–95 as mild disability, 45–60 as moderate disability, and 0–40 as severe disability. The prevalence of disability was estimated by demographics and health characteristics, and their associations were explored by robust Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of disability among older adults was 19.4%, and the prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe disability was 16.8%, 1.5%, and 1.1%, respectively. All variables, including older age, residence in a rural area, higher number of hospitalizations, comorbidities, poor self-rated health, falls, cognitive impairment, mental impairment, and alienation from friends and relatives, were shown to be associated with a higher adjusted prevalence of disability. Only formal education can reduce the risk of disability. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of disability among older adults is high in both urban and rural settings in southwest China, and a number of important factors associated with disability have been identified. In addition to increased attention to the health status of older adults, further research on scientific management and effective disability interventions is needed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03193-2.