Operationalizing the Disablement Process for Research on Older Adults: A Critical Review

Self-care disability is difficulty with or dependence on others to perform activities of daily living, such as eating and dressing. Disablement is worsening self-care disability measured over time. The disablement process model (DPM) is often used to conceptualize gerontology research on self-care d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian journal on aging 2020-12, Vol.39 (4), p.600-613
Main Authors: Lane, Natasha E., Boyd, Cynthia M., Stukel, Thérèse A., Wodchis, Walter P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of daily living
Alzheimer's disease
Built environment
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic illnesses
Demography
Disability
Dressing
Geriatrics
Gerontology
Health care
Health information
Health research
Hospitals
Nursing homes
Older people
Operational definitions
Pathology
Physiology
Quality of life
Self care
Variables
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Description
Summary:Self-care disability is difficulty with or dependence on others to perform activities of daily living, such as eating and dressing. Disablement is worsening self-care disability measured over time. The disablement process model (DPM) is often used to conceptualize gerontology research on self-care disability and disablement; however, no summary of variables that align with person-level DPM constructs exists. This review summarizes the results of 88 studies to identify the nature and role of variables associated with disability and disablement in older adults according to the person-level constructs (e.g., demographic characteristics, chronic pathologies) in the DPM. It also examines the evidence for cross-sectional applications of the DPM and identifies common limitations in extant literature to address in future research. Researchers can apply these results to guide theory-driven disability and disablement research using routinely collected health data from older adults.
ISSN:0714-9808
1710-1107
DOI:10.1017/S0714980819000758