Abstract:

The functional status & self-care practices of older adults residing in 38 metropolitan & 12 nonmetropolitan communities around the U.S. are compared using weighted bivariate & multivariate logistic regression analyses of interview data collected as part of the 1989 National Survey of Self-Care & Aging (N = 3,485 older adults). Findings reveal that nonmetropolitan residents are more likely to perform functional & self-care activities both in the presence & absence of disability. It is suggested that nonmetropolitan residents may discount the significance of declining functional status, thus normalizing the trajectory of aging differently than their metropolitan counterparts. Implications for use of primary health care &/or long-term care services are also considered.