Morbidity and disability patterns in four developing nations: Their implications for social and economic integration of the elderly.

A major factor in the increased need for health and long term care services for the elderly at advanced ages is the higher prevalence of multiple chronic diseases and functional impairments at those ages. The association of chronic morbidity and disability has been well studied in developed countries. However, there is relatively little evidence on those associations in developing countries. In this paper we report on data from the WHO regional office of the Western Pacific-sponsored surveys conducted in four countries (the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Fiji) which provide detailed information on that association. These data are analyzed using a multivariate analytic procedure that can identify both distinctive morbidity/disability patterns and the subgroups which manifest these patterns. In addition, we examine the implications of those relations for elderly persons' ability to remain socially and economically integrated.