Functional independence of community dwelling older adults in China and South Korea

Purpose of the Study: Population aging is occurring at an unprecedented pace worldwide. This study was designed to identify potential protective and risk factors for functional independence of community dwelling older people in China and South Korea, and to understand the role that culture socioeconomic political context play in older people's functional independence. Design and Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted on data from a sample of community dwelling adults aged 65 to 79 drawn from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2005 (n=4,898) and the Korean Longitudinal Study on Aging 2006 (n=4,152). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to assess the contribution of sociodemographics, chronic health conditions, cognition, lifestyles, and social engagements to elders' functional limitations. Results: These Chinese and South Korean older adults shared certain common factors in maintaining functional independence in their communities; controlling for sociodemographic factors, absence of diseases and higher cognition scores were the strongest and most consistent determinants of functional independence in both countries. Urban residence and outdoor activity were strong factors for Chinese older adults; for their South Korean peers, gender, employment status, drinking and exercise were important determinants. Implications: The findings from this study suggested that contextual differences affect older people's lifestyles and functional status. The implications for aging policies and programs were discussed.