Summary
- A study from South Korea suggests that growing difficulty with routine activities may be linked to a higher risk of death.
- Higher death risk observed Among the 276 people who had increasing difficulty with daily activities, 187 died during the follow up period.
- After taking factors such as age chronic health conditions income, and physical activity into account the researchers found that people experiencing difficulties with daily activities had about twice the risk of death compared with those without such difficulties.
Do everyday activities such as shopping preparing food managing money or taking medicines seem to be getting harder with age?
A study from South Korea suggests that growing difficulty with routine activities may be linked to a higher risk of death. However the research does not prove that these difficulties directly cause early death.
Study Included More Than 6,000 People
Researchers from Yonsei University studied more than 6,000 adults aged 45 and older. Their information was collected between 2006 and 2014.
Participants were asked how much help they needed with 10 common daily activities including preparing meals managing clothes, using transportation handling money and taking medicines.
Most participants had few difficulties
About 95.4% of the participants did not report major problems with their daily activities. However 276 people experienced increasing difficulty with routine tasks over time.
Researchers suggested that physical weakness or health problems may have contributed to these difficulties although the study could not identify a specific cause.
Depression may also play a role
The researchers also looked at participants’ emotional health. In 2016, they used a questionnaire to assess symptoms of depression.
They later followed the participants’ health records and deaths through 2024.
Higher death risk observed
Among the 276 people who had increasing difficulty with daily activities, 187 died during the follow up period.
In comparison 1,067 of the 5,757 people in the other group died.
After taking factors such as age chronic health conditions income, and physical activity into account the researchers found that people experiencing difficulties with daily activities had about twice the risk of death compared with those without such difficulties.
More research is needed
The researchers noted that depression symptoms and various health conditions may make everyday tasks more difficult.
However the study could not establish a direct cause and effect relationship. The findings therefore show an association rather than proof of cause.
Further research is needed to better understand why declining ability to manage everyday activities may be linked with health outcomes.
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