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HEALTH
STATUS > HEALTH INDICATORS ACTIVITY LIMITATIONS Women are more likely than men to report being limited
in their activities due to a physical or mental/emotional problem,
and among both sexes activity limitations are more common with older
age. In 2003, 15.8 percent of women reported at least one activity
limitation, compared to 13.0 percent of men. Among women 75 and
older, 47.8 percent reported at least one activity limitation; this
is more than seven times the rate reported among women aged 18 to
44 years. Among men 75 and older, 41.4 percent reported an activity
limitation.
The four most frequently reported causes of activity limitation
among women were arthritis or rheumatism (28.3 percent), back/neck
problems (20.6 percent), heart problems (13.2 percent), and hypertension
(12.7 percent). Poor mental health was also a cause of activity
limitation, with 12.1 percent of women reporting that their activities
were limited by depression, anxiety, or an emotional problem.
Vision problems caused activity limitations among 7.2 percent of
women; however, 23.0 percent of women used adaptive devices for
their vision in 2002, including telescopic or other prescriptive
lenses, magnifiers, large print or talking materials, white cane,
or guide dog. The use of adaptive devices was most common among
women aged 75 years and older (28.5 percent), followed by those
aged 45 to 64 years (24.6 percent). Overall, the use of adaptive
devices among men and women was approximately equal; however, men
were more likely to use these devices at younger ages while women
were more likely to use them at older ages. The use of vision rehabilitation
services was low among both females and males (1.4 and 1.5 percent,
respectively).
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