A multistate transition model for analyzing diseases in elderly population

In this study, a competing risk model is proposed to analyze the transitions to diseases among elderly people employing the proportional hazards model. This study provides important findings regarding the disease pattern among the elderly people and the factors associated with such transitions. The Health and Retirement Study data are considered for the period of 1992-2000. The major diseases or complications considered in this study are stroke, lung diseases, diabetes mellitus, blood pressure and arthritis. The transitions to different diseases or complications are explained by selected covariates such as gender, race, marital status, smoking, drinking, physical exercise and BMI. The results indicate that gender, race, smoking and BMI are significantly associated with transitions to different diseases or complications. The results are displayed for transitions to each disease or complication separately for competing risk framework as well as for the combined transition to any of the selected diseases or complications. This paper reveals some important health issues related to the transitions to the selected diseases or complications among the elderly people and the factors associated with such transitions are identified.

Export Date: 24 September 2013 Source: Scopus

Competing risk/Elderly population/Hazards model/Multistate model/Transition to diseases/GENDER/Smoking

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