Available Studies
ROS, MAP, MARS, Clinical Core, LATC
Categories
Disabilities
Basic activities of daily living (ADL) is a composite measure of disability, measured with the Katz Activities of Daily Living Scale. The scale measures six basic physical abilities: walking across a small room, bathing, dressing, eating, getting from bed to chair, and toileting.
Participants are asked to report need for help/assistance in performing the ADLs. Responses are then dichotomized into 0 = no help and 1 = requires help or unable to do (see below). The composite measure ranges from 0 to 6 and is the sum of the number of items for which participants report the need for help/assistance, with higher scores indicating greater disability.
Participants are asked the following six questions:
Do you need help, either from another person or a special equipment or device…
1. walking across a small room?
2. bathing, either a sponge bath, tub bath or shower?
3. dressing, like putting on a shirt, buttoning and zipping, or putting on shoes?
4. eating, like holding a fork, cutting food, or drinking from a glass?
5. getting from a bed to chair?
6. using the toilet?
Response choices for each item:
Response | Response code | Dichotomized value |
---|---|---|
No help | 1 | 0 |
Help | 2 | 1 |
Unable to do | 3 | 1 |