Disability Among Older People: United States and Canada

This new report describes disability among older people in the United States and Canada. The report is designed to contribute to the study of differences between the United States and Canada by examining the prevalence of disability. The intent is to provide information useful for the study of the epidemiology of disability and the possible impact of differing health care systems.

Data Highlights:

The prevalence of all disabilities among people aged 55 years and over residing in the community rises sharply with age, and in a similar manner in both the United States and Canada.

Older women are more likely to be disabled than older men in both countries.

The prevalence of disability among people aged 55 years and over is not consistently higher in either the United States or Canada. The risk of being disabled is sometimes higher in one country and sometimes higher in the other, depending on the disability.

The prevalence of many disabilities is higher in the United States than in Canada among people aged 55-64 years. However, among people aged 65-74 years, the prevalence of many disabilities appears to be higher in Canada.

Differences in the prevalence of disability between the lowest and the highest income groups are not greater in either the United States or Canada. Depending on the disability, the ratios of the lowest to the highest income group is sometimes greater in one country and sometimes greater in the other.

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007