Limitations in activities of daily living in old age in Germany and the EU – Results from the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) 2

Abstract

The health status of older people in Germany can be compared with the health of older people in other European Union (EU) Member States using data on the distribution of limitations in activities of daily living. This concept covers basic limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) such as eating, as well as limitations in instrumental activities of daily living (iADL) such as shopping and managing finances. The second wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS 2) collected data on five ADLs and seven iADLs for people aged 65 or above. An ADL or iADL limitation was defined if a participant reported at least a lot of difficulty in at least one ADL or iADL, respectively. On average, 8.4% of the EU population reported an ADL limitation, with 25.2% reporting an iADL limitation. However, prevalences vary widely between EU Member States and are lower in Germany than the EU average (ADL limitation 6.3%, iADL limitation 14.0%). In general, women, people aged 75 or above, and lower education groups have a higher prevalence of ADL and iADL limitations.