Abstract des Autors

The purpose of this study was to propose an appropriate model for evaluating activities of daily living in the elderly. The subjects were 396 Korean elderly women, aged 60 to 91 years, all of whom were participants in school programs for the elderly managed by the City of Seoul. In our previous studies, seven variables were selected for the assessment of activities of daily living based on the results of factor analysis. In the present study, the 7 variables were submitted to principal component analysis, and the 1st principal component obtained was interpreted as "activities of daily living (ADL)" because of significantly heavy loadings on all variables. Thus, the first principal component was used as a predictor of ADL. Principal component score decreased significantly with advancing age (r=-0.556). The equation developed to determine ADL age (ADLA) was ADLA = 6.31 ADLS + 71.71 + Z, and ADLS = -0.033x1 + 0.012x2 + 0.045x3 + 0.032x4 + 0.046x5 + 0.025x6 + 0.007x7 - 3.256, where ADLS = ADL score, Z = 0.46, Age - 32.91, x1 = walking around two chairs in a figure 8, x2 = balancing on one leg with eyes open, x3 = grip strength, x4 = tapping with one foot while seating, x5 = manipulating pegs in a pegboard (both hands), x6 = sit and reach, and x7 = leg flexion strength in a seated position. It was confirmed that estimated ADLAs (n=396) were symmetrically scattered above and below the line of identity (i.e., chronological age equals ADLA). In a cross-validation sample (n=101), no significant difference existed between the mean ADLA and the mean chronological age. The equation for estimating ADLAs is considered useful for the assessment of ADL in Korean elderly women. The ADLAs estimated on the basis of the principal component model appear to be theoretically more valid than those obtained by the multiple regression model. Verf.-Referat