The association of socio-economic factors with physical and mental capacity in elderly men and women

The association of socio-economic factors with functional capacity has received less research attention than their association with diseases and mortality. However, functional capacity is an important measure of health and independence in the elderly. This study explores the associations of socio-economic factors with physical and mental capacity as measured in laboratory tests and on the basis of self-report. The data were drawn from the Evergreen project, comprising all persons aged 75 (N=388) and 80 (N=291) in Jyvنskylن, central Finland. Women with a higher level of education showed better functional capacity on all indicators, among men higher education was only associated with better vital capacity and cognitive capacity. Better perceived financial situation was associated with better functional capacity in both men and women. The association between socio-economic factors and functional capacity remained even when the number of chronic diseases was controlled for. The results lend support to the assumption that socio-economic factors are associated with physical and mental capacity in elderly people.