Temporal Trends (from 2008 to 2017) in Functional Limitations and Limitations in Activities of Daily Living: Findings from a Nationally Representative Sample of 5.4 Million Older Americans

This study’s objectives are as follows: (1) to identify the temporal trends in the prevalence and the odds of activities of daily living (ADL) limitations and functional limitations (FLs) among Americans aged 65 and older; (2) to explore if these trends vary by gender and age cohort; (3) to determine if generational differences in educational attainment play a role in the observed temporal trends. A secondary analysis of the American Community Survey (ACS) was conducted for ten consecutive waves of the annual cross-sectional survey (2008–2017). The respondents were community-dwelling and institutionalized adults aged 65 and older (n = 5.4 million). The question on ADLs was “Does this person have difficulty dressing or bathing?”. The question on FLs was “Does this person have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?”. There was a substantial decline over the decade in the prevalence of ADL limitations, from 12.1% to 9.6%, and FLs, from 27.3% to 23.5%. If the 2017 prevalence rates had remained at the same level as the 2008 prevalence rates, there would have been an additional 1.27 million older Americans with ADL limitations and 1.89 million with FLs. Adjusting for educational attainment substantially attenuated the odds of the decline for both ADL limitations and FLs.