Improving the Measurement of Late-Life Disability in Population Surveys

Improving the Measurement of Late-Life Disability in Population Surveys summarizes a workshop organized to draw upon recent advances to improve the measurement of physical and cognitive disability in population surveys of the elderly population. The book questions whether or not the measures of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living used in many population surveys are sufficient as the primary survey-based indicators of late-life disability. If not, should they be refined or should they be supplemented by other measures of disability in surveys? If yes, in what ways should disability measures be changed or modified to produce population estimates of late-life disability and to monitor trends? The book also discusses what further research is needed to advance this effort.Table of ContentsFront Matter1 Introduction2 Challenges to Improving Measurement of Late-Life Functioning and Disability3 Potential Methods for Revising Measures to Foster Comparability Across Subgroups4 Improving the Validity of Cross-Population Comparisons5 Measuring Functioning and Disability in Context6 Research and Development Toward Improved Measures of Late-Life DisabilityReferencesAppendix A: Population Survey Measures of Functioning: Strengths and Weaknesses--Barbara M. AltmanAppendix B: Workshop Agenda and PresentersAppendix C: Biographical Sketches of Steering Committee MembersCommittee on PopulationCommittee on National Statistics