Integrating a performance-based observation measure of functional status into a population-based longitudinal study of aging

Over the past 15 to 20 years there has been discussion and debate in the gerontological literature about the relative merits of self-report versus performance-based observational (PBO) measures of functional status. In 2001 the Aging in Manitoba Longitudinal Study had the opportunity to add a PBO measure of functional status and use it together with two self-report measures on a sub-sample of 138 participants. The PBO measure that was used was the Performance Assessment of Self-Care Skills, Version 3.1 (Home). Using ranks of the proportion of participants who were independent in nine different tasks, no significant correlations were found between the performance measure scores and either of the self-report measures. This finding suggests that using self-report data rather than performance data could lead program developers and policy makers to different conclusions about the extent of need for assistance among older adults.