Frequency and distribution of functioning and disability in aged persons – Results from the KORA-Age Study

Background: Like other industrialized countries Germany is facing the ageing of its population. Thus, there is increasing attention on functioning and disability of aged adults as potential determinants of autonomy and independent living. Yet, frequency and distribution of functioning and disability have not been studied extensively in this age group. Mostly, studies took a disease oriented approach by analyzing the effects of a specific health condition on mobility and activities of daily living. However, there are few representative findings on the prevalence of disability in aged persons in the German populat…