Prevalence of Complex Activity Limitations Among Racial/Ethnic Groups and Hispanic Subgroups of Adults: United States, 2003–2009

Despite declines in disability in some racial/ethnic groups during the past
several decades, disparities among some groups remain (1,2). Given these
disparities and the rapid growth of the U.S. Hispanic population (3,4), studying
disability within the Hispanic population is important. This brief focuses
on one measure of disability—differences in complex activity limitations—
among Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, and non-Hispanic black adults and in
five Hispanic subgroups. Complex activity limitations, introduced in Disability
and Health in the United States, 2001–2005 (5), are limitations in “the tasks
and organized activities that, when executed, make up numerous social roles,”
such as working and attending school. The three types of complex activity
limitations analyzed in this brief are self-care, social, and work limitations.