Sociodemographic Determinants, Health Conditions, and Mental Status as Predictors of the Functional Status of Older Saudi People

The increasing population of Saudi elderly demands adequate assessment of their functional health status and mental status to improve their health and quality of life. This study aimed to determine the functional status of older Saudi people in performing basic activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and its influencing factors. This quantitative, descriptive-correlational study surveyed a total of 203 participants using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Katz Index of ADL, and Lawton IADL. Overall, the participants had moderate cognitive impairment and were able to perform basic ADLs and IADLs independently, but they needed assistance in doing housework. Functional status was sensitive to their sociodemographic characteristics, presence of health problems, and mental status. Mental status, education, employment, marital status, and source of support were significantly associated with their ability to perform basic ADLs and IADLs. This study suggests that more efforts are needed to understand the sociodemographic characteristics, presence of health problems, and mental status that support the development of evidence-based public health policy on the functional status among older Saudi people. The findings can be utilized by hospital and nursing administrators to initiate educational and training programs for healthcare professionals including nurses and to create healthcare policies so that the health concerns and functional difficulties of older patients are adequately addressed.