Cohort Trends in the Gender Distribution of Household Tasks in the United States and the Implications for Understanding Disability

Overview

Journal J Aging Health

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2018 Aug 25

PMID 30141717

Citations 8

Authors

Connor Sheehan

Benjamin W Domingue

Eileen Crimmins

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Measures of disability depend on health and social roles in a given environment. Yet, social roles can change over time as they have by gender. We document how engagement in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) is shifting by gender and birth cohort among older adults, and the challenges these shifts can create for population-level estimates of disability. We used the Health and Retirement Study ( = 25,047) and multinomial logistic regression models with an interaction term between gender and birth cohort to predict limitation and nonperformance relative to no difficulty conducting IADLs. Nonperformance of IADLs have significantly decreased among younger cohorts. Women in younger cohorts were more likely to use a map, whereas men in younger cohorts were more likely to prepare meals and shop. Failing to account for gender and cohort changes in IADL, performance may lead to systematic bias in estimates of population-level disability.

Citing Articles

Changes in instrumental activities daily living limitations and their associated factors according to gender in community-residing older adults: A longitudinal cohort study.

Moon S, Oh E, Chung D, Hong G PLoS One. 2024; 19(1):e0296796.

PMID: 38206920 PMC: 10783775. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296796.

Transitions across states with and without difficulties in performing activities of daily living and death: a longitudinal comparison of ten European countries.

Marroig A Eur J Ageing. 2023; 20(1):18.

PMID: 37202643 PMC: 10195131. DOI: 10.1007/s10433-023-00763-0.

Relationships and gender differences within and between assessments used in Swedish home rehabilitation - a cross-sectional study.

Johansson A, Torge C, Fristedt S, Ernsth Bravell M BMC Health Serv Res. 2022; 22(1):807.

PMID: 35729529 PMC: 9215038. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08177-x.

Predictors of activities of daily living in heathy older adults: Who benefits most from online cognitive training?.

Roheger M, Kalbe E, Corbett A, Brooker H, Ballard C Brain Behav. 2021; 11(11):e2388.

PMID: 34661996 PMC: 8613408. DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2388.

Use of standardized brief geriatric evaluation compared with routine care in general practice for preventing functional decline: a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial.

Mueller Y, Schwarz J, Monod S, Locatelli I, Senn N CMAJ. 2021; 193(33):E1289-E1299.

PMID: 34426445 PMC: 8412422. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.202887.

References

Freedman V, Aykan H, Wolf D, Marcotte J . Disability and home care dynamics among older unmarried Americans. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2004; 59(1):S25-33. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/59.1.s25. View

Verbrugge L, Brown D, Zajacova A . Disability Rises Gradually for a Cohort of Older Americans. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016; 72(1):151-161. PMC: 5156489. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw002. View

Edwards J, Lunsman M, Perkins M, Rebok G, Roth D . Driving cessation and health trajectories in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009; 64(12):1290-5. PMC: 2773808. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glp114. View

Fleishman J, Spector W, Altman B . Impact of differential item functioning on age and gender differences in functional disability. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2002; 57(5):S275-84. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/57.5.s275. View

White-Means S, Rubin R . Parent caregiving choices of middle-generation Blacks and Whites in the United States. J Aging Health. 2008; 20(5):560-82. DOI: 10.1177/0898264308317576. View

Spillman B . Changes in elderly disability rates and the implications for health care utilization and cost. Milbank Q. 2004; 82(1):157-94. PMC: 2690203. DOI: 10.1111/j.0887-378x.2004.00305.x. View

Crimmins E, Hayward M, Hagedorn A, Saito Y, Brouard N . Change in disability-free life expectancy for Americans 70-years-old and older. Demography. 2009; 46(3):627-46. PMC: 2831348. DOI: 10.1353/dem.0.0070. View

Taylor M, Lynch S . Cohort differences and chronic disease profiles of differential disability trajectories. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2011; 66(6):729-38. PMC: 3198246. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbr104. View

Melvin J, Hummer R, Elo I, Mehta N . Age patterns of racial/ethnic/nativity differences in disability and physical functioning in the United States. Demogr Res. 2016; 31:497-510. PMC: 4755494. DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.31.17. View

10.

Domingue B, Belsky D, Harrati A, Conley D, Weir D, Boardman J . Mortality selection in a genetic sample and implications for association studies. Int J Epidemiol. 2017; 46(4):1285-1294. PMC: 5837559. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyx041. View

11.

Masters R, Hummer R, Powers D . Educational Differences in U.S. Adult Mortality: A Cohort Perspective. Am Sociol Rev. 2014; 77(4):548-572. PMC: 4208076. DOI: 10.1177/0003122412451019. View

12.

Nguyen T, Rist P, Glymour M . Are self-reported neighbourhood characteristics associated with onset of functional limitations in older adults with or without memory impairment?. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2016; 70(10):1017-23. DOI: 10.1136/jech-2016-207241. View

13.

Schoeni R, Martin L, Andreski P, Freedman V . Persistent and growing socioeconomic disparities in disability among the elderly: 1982-2002. Am J Public Health. 2005; 95(11):2065-70. PMC: 1449484. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.048744. View

14.

Geist C, Tabler J . Somebody has to DUST! Gender, health, and housework in older couples. J Women Aging. 2017; 30(1):38-48. DOI: 10.1080/08952841.2016.1259442. View

15.

Thomeer M, Mudrazija S, Angel J . Relationship Status and Long-Term Care Facility Use in Later Life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2015; 71(4):711-23. PMC: 4903036. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbv106. View

16.

Freedman V, Spillman B, Andreski P, Cornman J, Crimmins E, Kramarow E . Trends in late-life activity limitations in the United States: an update from five national surveys. Demography. 2012; 50(2):661-71. PMC: 3586750. DOI: 10.1007/s13524-012-0167-z. View

17.

Sheehan C, Tucker-Drob E . Gendered Expectations Distort Male-Female Differences in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Later Adulthood. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2017; 74(4):715-723. PMC: 6460339. DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw209. View

18.

Henning-Smith C, Shippee T, Capistrant B . Later-Life Disability in Environmental Context: Why Living Arrangements Matter. Gerontologist. 2017; 58(5):853-862. PMC: 6137343. DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx019. View

19.

Zajacova A, Burgard S . HEALTHIER, WEALTHIER, AND WISER: A DEMONSTRATION OF COMPOSITIONAL CHANGES IN AGING COHORTS DUE TO SELECTIVE MORTALITY. Popul Res Policy Rev. 2014; 32(3):311-324. PMC: 4112120. DOI: 10.1007/s11113-013-9273-x. View

20.

Palmer R, Espino D, Dergance J, Becho J, Markides K . The role of physical activity and diabetes status as a moderator: functional disability among older Mexican Americans. Age Ageing. 2012; 41(6):752-8. PMC: 3577043. DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afs106. View