PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ümit Tas
AU  - Arianne P Verhagen
AU  - Sita MA Bierma-Zeinstra
AU  - Else Odding
AU  - Bart W Koes
TI  - Prognostic factors of disability in older people: a systematic review
DP  - 2007 Apr 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 319--323
VI  - 57
IP  - 537
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/57/537/319.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/57/537/319.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2007 Apr 01; 57
AB  - Aim To systematically review the evidence on the influence of sociodemographic, lifestyle, and (bio)medical variables on the course of prevalent disability and transition rates to different outcome categories in community-dwelling older people.Method Articles were identified through searches of PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases and reference lists of relevant articles. Prospective population studies that assessed disability at baseline and reported on associations between potential prognostic variables and disability were included. Methodological quality of studies was assessed by standardised criteria, after which relevant data were extracted. A synthesis of the available evidence was carried out.Results Nine cohort studies reported transition rates and eight cohort studies presented multivariate analyses on prognostic factors. There was some heterogeneity among studies in definition and assessment of disability. There is moderate to strong evidence that higher age, cognitive impairment, vision impairment, and poor self-rated health are prognostic factors of disability.Conclusion Prognostic factors, partly modifiable, are identified that should be taken into account in targeting treatment and care for older people with disabilities. Further conceptual and methodological standardisation is required in order to enable a meta-analysis and obtain higher levels of evidence.