Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41291498›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2025

Explaining higher functional disability in women compared to men among older adults - the Singapore Chinese Health Study.

Li Feng Tan, Aizhen Jin, Ariel Fangting Ying, An Pan, Gim Gee Teng, Woon-Puay Koh

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Li Feng TanHealthy Ageing Programme, Alexandra Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Aizhen JinHealthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Ariel Fangting YingCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
An PanDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Gim Gee TengDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Alexandra Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore. gim_gee_teng@nuhs.edu.sg.
Woon-Puay KohHealthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

Funding

National Medical Research Council NMRC/CSA/0055/2013
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStudies suggest that the higher prevalence of functional disability in women could be explained by differences in social and health-related factors. We examined these factors in association with disability among Chinese older adults in Singapore.

methodsWe used data from 13,788 participants who attended the third follow-up interviews in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, when the mean age was 72.86 ± 6.23 years. Participants who had overall scores > 8 on the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) Scale were considered to have functional disability. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association with functional disability.

resultsThe age-adjusted OR (95% CI) for the association with functional disability in women compared to men was 1.29 (1.20-1.39). However, after additional adjustment for other determinants of functional disability, this OR (95% CI) was attenuated to 0.96 (0.88-1.05). This association was largely mediated by lack of formal education (45.8%), weak handgrip strength (20.3%), arthritis (15.0%) and abdominal obesity (8.4%). Furthermore, age, lack of education, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, arthritis and abdominal obesity were associated with significantly higher odds of disability in women than in men (P-values of interactions with gender ≤ 0.042).

conclusionLower educational attainment, musculoskeletal conditions, and abdominal obesity may contribute to a higher likelihood of disability in women. Additionally, abdominal obesity, arthritis and cardiometabolic diseases showed stronger associations with functional disability in women than in men.

Indexed as

Activities of Daily LivingAsian PeopleDisability EvaluationPersons with DisabilitiesAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleSex FactorsSingaporeAgeingFunctional disabilitySex differencesWomen

Identifiers

PMID41291498
PMCPMC12649071

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.