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Body mass, physical activity and future long-term care use

Nizalova, Olena and Gousia, Katerina and Forder, Julien E. (2018) Body mass, physical activity and future long-term care use. Working paper. The Quality and Outcomes of Person-centred Care Policy Research Unit (KAR id:77852)

Abstract

Obesity and physical activity rates are known to be strong predictors of disability and functional limitations, and in turn use of health care. In this study we aim to explore whether obesity and physical activity are also significant risk factors for future long-term care need (both informal and formal care). We use regression analysis of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) between 2002 to 2011 to addres this aim. Selection issues are tackled using the rich set of control variables in ELSA; exploiting the longitudinal structure of the data; and accounting for loss to follow-up (including death). Control factors include: impairment (ADLs) and specific existing health conditions – notably diabetes, high blood pressure, and CVD. We find that obese older people are 25% more likely to be in receipt of informal or privately paid care in two year’s time, but this does not hold for formal care. People who are physically active are 38% less likely to be using any care two years later, with the strongest effect for formal care use. Sensitivity analysis suggests that the results are not driven by either prediabetes, or a link between obesity and subjective health and depression, or unobserved factors.

Item Type: Reports and Papers (Working paper)
Uncontrolled keywords: long-term care, social care, elderly people, informal care, obesity, BMI
Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Personal Social Services Research Unit
Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Economics
Depositing User: Olena Nizalova
Date Deposited: 25 Oct 2019 19:16 UTC
Last Modified: 10 Dec 2022 04:24 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/77852 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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