Value of combined assessment of physical health and functional status in community-dwelling aged: a prospective study in Florence, Italy.

A survey of the health and social conditions of a representative sample of 967 persons aged 60 years and older from the city of Florence, Italy, was undertaken in 1980. In 1987, a follow-up survey of this cohort was performed. There were 391 documented deaths, 408 survivors, and 168 individuals who could not be located. Functional ability at baseline was assessed using a World Health Organization 14-item scale. Indicators of physical health status included chronic disease status, number of drugs, physician visits, and days of hospitalization. After adjustment for age and sex, both functional ability and indicators of physical health status were found to be independent, statistically significant predictors of mortality. The results of this study further support the view that biomedical and functional assessment are both necessary for a comprehensive evaluation of the older population.