Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among the Elderly: An Intersectional Analysis of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India, 2017–19

Activities of Daily Living (ADL) encompass the basic skills needed to independently perform tasks like eating, bathing, and moving around. In contrast, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) include complex activities related to independent living in the community. These are significant predictors of the health needs of the elderly, such as mortality, nursing home admissions, and home care utilization. India’s growing elderly population, the feminization of aging with more elderly women than men, and the existing caste, gender, and economic disparities have led to multiple burdens and marginalization for the elderly. This study measures the determinants of dependence in basic ADL and IADL among the elderly and the role of gender and its intersection with caste and economic class. Data on 31,336 elderly persons (60 years and above) from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), conducted from April 2017 to December 2018, were used to perform an intersectional analysis. Gender differences in dependence for both ADL and IADL were evident. Elderly women’s dependence for at least one ADL and IADL was 26.4% and 56.9%, respectively, whereas for elderly men, it was 20.9% and 38.9%, respectively. Intersectional analyses showed that gender also intersected with caste and socioeconomic class, and privileged men across all caste and class groups had lesser dependence for ADL and IADL than women. For example, elderly men from scheduled castes and lower socioeconomic groups had lesser dependence for ADL and IADL than women from all caste groups and socioeconomic classes, respectively.