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The Global Activity Limitation Index measured function and disability similarly across European countries

Lookup NU author(s): Emerita Professor Carol Jagger

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Abstract

Objective: This work aims to validate and increase understanding of the Global Activity Limitation Index (GALI), an activity limitation measure from which the new structural indicator Healthy Life Years is generated. Study Design and Setting: Data from the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe, covering 11 European countries and 27,340 individuals older than 50 years, was used to investigate how the GALI was associated with other existing measures of function and disability and whether the GALI was consistent or reflected different levels of health in different countries. Results: The GALI was significantly associated with the two subjective measures of activities of daily living score and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) score, and the two objective measures of maximum grip strength and walking speed (P < 0.001 in all cases). The GALI did not differ significantly between countries in terms of how it reflected three of the health measures, with the exception being IADL. Conclusion: The GALI appears to satisfactorily reflect levels of function and disability as assessed by long-standing objective and subjective measures, both across Europe and in a similar way between countries. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Jagger C, Gillies C, Cambois E, Van Oyen H, Nusselder W, Robine JM, EHLEIS Team

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

Year: 2010

Volume: 63

Issue: 8

Pages: 892-899

Print publication date: 20/02/2010

Date deposited: 15/10/2010

ISSN (print): 0895-4356

ISSN (electronic): 1878-5921

Publisher: Elsevier

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.11.002

DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.11.002


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
Austria (through the Austrian Science Fund, FWF), Belgium (through the Belgian Science Policy Office), and Switzerland
Eurostat
2003-2008EU
P01 AG005842US National Institute on Aging
P30 AG12815US National Institute on Aging
OGHA 04-064US National Institute on Aging
P01 AG08291US National Institute on Aging
QLK6-CT-2001-00360European Commission
U01 AG09740-13S2US National Institute on Aging
Y1-AG-4553-01US National Institute on Aging

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