Author and graduation date: Kelly C. LOHMANN, July, 2002

Committee members: Jeanne F. Nichols (Chair), Patricia Pattersons, Peter A. Anderson

Thesis title: A Cross-sectional Comparison of Physical Functional Ability among Older Adults from Four Ethnic Groups

Physical functional status is an important factor that influences an individual's quality of life, especially in later years. Generally, as one ages, physical functional ability declines and individuals experience a loss of independence and greater need for assistance in completing activities of daily living. However, it has not been established whether or not older individuals from various ethnic groups experience similar rates of decline in physical function, and whether socioeconomic status (SES) factors are associated with possible differences. The purpose of this study was to compare physical functional ability of older adults from four ethnic groups - Hispanic, African American, Caucasian, and Filipino. A battery of nine functional tests was administered to 124 participants, ages 65 and over (34 Hispanic; 54 Caucasian; 13 African American; 23 Filipino). These nine measures were designed to quantify subjects' mobility, upper and lower body muscular strength and endurance, cardiorespiratory function, range of motion of both the upper and lower extremities, and static and dynamic balance. Raw scores of function indicated group differences, with Caucasians and Filipinos scoring lower than Hispanics on several of the tests and African Americans scoring the lowest of the four groups for all but one function test (p < .05). After adjusting for age, significant differences remained only in the 2-minute step, back scratch, 8-foot get up and go, and forward wall reach tests; however those differences disappeared when adjusting for education and income. Expressed as percentiles of the normative data published for older adults, all four groups scored well below the 50th percentile for most of the functional measures. These data indicate that SES factors influence some measures of function in older adults. Further research is needed to determine whether cultural factors contribute to the differences observed in this study, so that interventions can be tailored to optimize function in diverse populations of older adults.

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