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Objectives: To identify factors associated with dependence for basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in elderly adults in Mexico., Methods: A cross-sectional study of data from the first round of Mexico's National Study on Health and Aging, 2001, was undertaken. The sample consisted of 7 171 participants, 60 years of age or older. Multifactorial regression analysis was used to identify associations between BADL and IADL dependence and lifestyle, sociodemographics, family background, and health history, from childhood to present., Results: The mean age of the participants was 69.4 +/- 7.6 years of age, with a range of 60-105 years; females made up 53.4% of the sample. The BADL- and IADL-dependent groups had a higher mean age (P < 0.01), were predominantly female (P < 0.01), had a greater incidence of illiteracy, and reported a significantly higher number of chronic diseases and greater frequency of pain than did the independent participants. Among the 521 (7.3%) BADL-dependent, there was a higher percentage who were single or widowed (P < 0.01), and their self-assessed health was poorer, than that of the independent (P < 0.01). Among the 603 (8.4%) IADL-dependent, significant, independently associated factors were age, cerebrovascular and other chronic diseases, depression, vision issues, excessive pain, and amputation of a limb. Absence of childhood trauma and fewer years of employment were related to a lower incidence of IADL dependence., Conclusions: Functional dependence in older adults is directly related to aging and has multiple determinants. Awareness of these determinants should help design health programs that can identify individuals who are at high risk of losing their independence, and implement interventions for slowing or reversing the process.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of hospital utilization by the elderly in three hospitals in Mexico City during 1992 and 1993. Main reason for admission, average length of stay and type of treatment received were some of the variables studied., Material and Methods: A random sample of 820 clinical files were selected, 308 from the Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (INNSZ), 189 from the Hospital General Manuel Gea González (HGMGG) and 323 from the Hospital Regional Adolfo López Mateos (HRALM). The principal reasons for admission, average days spent in the hospital and type of treatment received were identified for patients 60 years and older. Univariate and bivariate analysis was performed with hypothesis test for differences between sexes., Results: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension were the principal reasons for admission length of stay varied considerably and was the longest at the INNSZ (median: 12 days) and the shortest at the HRALM (median: 8 days). Most of the patients were admitted through the emergency service, except in the INNSZ where most came for ambulatory visit.