Prevalence of diabetes and disability among older adults in West Bengal and India: A comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND

Aging is a heterogeneous process, and older adults are at greater risk of experiencing physical and functional health challenges. This study examines the comparative prevalence of diabetes-related disability among older adults in West Bengal and India.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the first wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017-18), comprising 72,250 individuals aged 45 years and above, including 3933 respondents from West Bengal. A multistage stratified sampling method was used. Functional disability was assessed using six Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and seven Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between diabetes and disability, and the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique was applied to identify the contribution of various factors to the observed differences.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ADL and IADL difficulties among older adults with diabetes was 24.1 % in West Bengal and 18.9 % at the national level. The risk of disability among diabetic elderly was significantly higher in West Bengal [OR = 6.20 (3.74-10.26) for ADL; OR = 6.71 (4.69-9.61) for IADL] compared to India [OR = 3.92 (1.10-14.03) for ADL; OR = 3.91 (1.17-13.12) for IADL]. Decomposition analysis showed that comorbidity factors accounted for 37 % of the ADL/IADL disability gap between West Bengal and India.

CONCLUSION

Nearly one-fourth of older adults with diabetes in West Bengal experience ADL limitations. There is urgent need to enhance healthcare services for individuals in West Bengal who are face higher levels of diabetes and disability.