Effect of Early Conditions on Functional Status among Elderly in Latin America and the Caribbean

Malena Monteverde, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Kenya V. Noronha, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Alberto Palloni, University of Wisconsin at Madison

Poor early conditions have been associated with increasing risks of suffering many non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, these morbidity conditions strongly affect functional capacity. This suggests that there are both direct and indirect connections between early conditions and functional limitations. The aim of the present study is to assess differentials in the risk of being disabled according to the early conditions experienced by the current elderly populations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), and the underlying mechanisms related to non-communicable diseases. We use data from Puerto Rico, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Brazil, Barbados, Mexico and Uruguay (PREHCO, 2000; SABE, 2000). We found that poor early conditions have a strong effect on functional status later in life by means of both direct effects and the higher risks of suffering related diseases in LAC populations.