Health of community-dwelling adults with mobility limitations in the United States: Incidence of secondary health conditions. Part II

Objective: To compare incident health conditions that occurred over a 2-year period in nationally representative groups of adults with mobility, nonmobility, and no limitations. Design: Data were collected prospectively from a probability subsample of households that represent the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Setting: Five rounds of household interviews were conducted over 2 years. Participants: Data were analyzed on the same respondents from the 1996-1997 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and the 1995 National Health Interview Survey Disability Supplement. Respondents were categorized into 3 groups for analysis; those with mobility limitations, nonmobility limitations, and no limitations. The analytic sample included 12,302 MEPS adults (>= 18y). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Number, types, and 2-year incidence of self-reported health conditions compared across groups. Results: The mean number of incident conditions (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) over the 2-year period was greatest in adults with mobility limitations (mean, 4.7; 95% CI, 4.4-4.9) compared with those with nonmobility limitations (mean, 3.9; 95% CI, 3.7-4.2) or no limitations (mean, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.5-2.7). Incident conditions affected most major body systems. Conclusions: Because secondary conditions are potentially preventable, determining factors that influence their occurrence is an important public health issue requiring specific action.