A Geographic Assessment of Changes in Elderly Disability in the US: 1990-2000

Ge Lin, West Virginia University

In this article I examine changes in functional limitations of older Americans using the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census data. The age adjusted disability rates are compared and mapped at the levels. Due to population aging, most counties in the US experience an increase in elderly disability rates. Although the standardized disability rates have changed little at the state level, changes at the county level are substantial, especially in the Midwest and South central regions. Using a spatial logit model, I also evaluated spatial and non-spatial factors associated with changes in elderly disability. In additions, differences in disability questions and their potential effects on the changes in the geographic distributions are also discussed.