Study: Latino Seniors Spend Half Their Remaining Lives with a Disability

Although Latinos tend to live longer than other ethnic groups, they also spend a high proportion of their later years with disability, according to a new study, Health Canal reports. In fact, Latinos ages 65 and older spend half their remaining years with serious physical impairments. The study, which followed a cohort of several thousand Mexican Americans for 18 years, evaluated physical performance—balance, standing, walking, grip strength, and the ability to get out of a chair. Respondents with less education and lower financial stability were more likely to experience functional decline than those with higher levels of education and financial stability, and older women who were born in Mexico suffered longer periods of disability, according to Health Canal. This means ...