Relationship between the level of activities of daily living and chronic medical conditions among the elderly.

The purpose of this study is to observe the disease-disability association through a cross-sectional study. Between 1994 and 1995, we conducted a questionnaire survey in 5 towns in Japan. Among the items included in the questionnaire, 5 related to ADL (bathing, feeding, dressing/undressing, toileting, and going out socially) were treated as purpose variables; and 5 related to the history of medical treatment received over the past year (diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, neuralgia, and bone fractures) were used as explanatory variables. Multiple logistic models were applied to observe the relationship. The history of medical treatment for cerebrovascular disease greatly and unavoidably affects disability related to ADL. Bone fractures, diabetes, and heart diseases contributed to specific ADL disabilities.