Aging Differently: Physical Limitations Among Adults Aged 50 years and Over: United States, 2001–2007

Many adults experience increases in physical limitations with age. A physical limitation, as defined here, refers to having difficulty performing any of eight physical activities, (see “Definition”). Physical limitation is important because of its relationship with the ability to live independently and to overall quality of life (1). Recent studies show that in the United States the onset of physical limitations occurs later in today’s older population than in earlier cohorts of the elderly (2,3). This “compression of morbidity” (4,5) means that on average older adults are living longer without experiencing a significant loss of independence in performing a wide range of activities. However, not all Americans have shared equally in this compression of morbidity; less advantaged groups such as minorities and the poor are more likely to report limitations in physical functioning at earlier ages than their more advantaged counterparts (6).