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Background In an ageing society, the provision of long-term care is the prime need. In Indian cultural setting, family members are the informal, albeit primary caregivers to the elderly. Caregiving demands intense emotional and financial involvement. While taking care of elderly persons’ health and wellbeing, these family members, acting as informal caregivers, may themselves become vulnerable to poor health due to additional stress and burden. Using a nationally representative survey, the study tried to identify how health condition varies within caregivers and a comparative analysis of how in similar socio-economic background health condition varies between caregivers and non-caregivers. Method The data, used for the analysis, is taken from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), Wave I. Both descriptive and multivariable regression analysis are done in different models along with interaction effect of caregiving to understand the difference in health status between caregiver and non-caregivers. Results Nearly 29% and 11% of the informal caregivers, reported to have depressive symptoms and poor self-rated health (SRH), respectively. Almost half of the caregivers, who provide care for more than 40 h a week, are diagnosed to have depressive symptoms. They are also at higher risk of having depressive symptoms (AOR 1.59 CI 1.16–2.18) and poor SRH (AOR 1.73 CI 1.11–2.69) than those who invest less than 40 h in a week. In almost every socio-economic condition, caregivers are at a higher risk of having depression and poor health than non-caregivers. Caregivers, who are widowed, live in rural areas or are not satisfied with current living arrangement are more vulnerable to have depressive symptoms. On the other hand, caregivers of age 45–59 years, widowed, male and who live only with their children with spouse absent, have almost 2 times higher odds of poor SRH than non-caregivers. Conclusion Caregivers are more susceptible to depression and poor self-rated health compared to non-caregivers irrespective of their socio-economic characteristics, only the magnitude of vulnerability varies.

Background Declining functionality affects an individual’s musculoskeletal integrity increasing the risk of fall and disability. Individuals with severe functional limitations are 5 times more likely to experience a fall. Thus, this paper investigated the association between functional decline and falls in older adults. Methods This study uses secondary data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (2017–18). A total of 31,477 people over the age of 60 are included in the study. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were performed to determine the association between activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and fall. Adjusted odds ratio was used to determine the association of ADL and IADL with fall while controlling for age, gender, balance and gait impairments. Results The study reported 6352 fall episodes in 3270 participants aged 60 and above, over a period of 2 years. More than 30% of participants reported difficulty in ADL and IADL. Age and gender adjusted odds of fall were higher in participants with difficulty in more than 4 ADLs (AOR:1.32; CI:1.08 – 1.67) and in more than 2 IADL (AOR: 1.39; CI:1.02 – 1.89). Similarly, the odds of fall were higher for difficulty in ADL (AOR:1.31; CI:1.11 – 1.73) and IADL (AOR of 1.18; CI:1.07 – 1.29) controlling for gait and balance impairment. Difficulty in pushing-pulling objects (AOR: 1.30; CI: 1.15 – 1.46 & AOR: 1.40; CI: 1.21–1.61) and getting up from the chair (AOR: 1.12; CI:1.01–1.26 & AOR: 1.27; CI: 0.99 – 1.26) was significantly associated with fall when adjusted for age, gender and balance and gait parameters. Conclusions This study provides the new insights into the association of fall and risk of functional decline, especially difficulty in pushing and pulling objects and getting up from a chair, can be incorporated in the primary screening of fall risk assessment.

Background Chronic conditions reduce the likelihood of physical functioning among older adults. However, the contribution of most prevalent diseases and multimorbidity to different measures of functional limitations is relatively underexplored among Indian older adults. The present study explores the prospective association between number of chronic conditions and limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among older adults in India. Methods This study utilized data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI-2017-18). The effective sample size was 31,464 older adults aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics along with cross-tabulation were presented in the study. Additionally, binary logistic regression analysis was used to fulfil the objectives. The outcome variables were dichotomized; high representing no difficulty in ADL/IADL and low representing a difficulty in at least one ADL/IADL. The chronic conditions included hypertension, diabetes, neurological/psychiatric disease, lung disease, heart diseases, stroke, and bone-related disease. The number of chronic diseases was categorized into no disease, single, two and three plus based on number of reported disease. Results 26.36% of older women and 20.87% of older men had low ADL and the figures for low IADL were 56.86 and 38.84% for older men and women respectively. The likelihood of low ADL (AOR: 1.698, CI:1.544, 1.868) and low IADL (AOR: 1.197; CI: 1.064, 1.346) was higher among womenthan men. With increasing age, the prevalence of low ADL increased among older adults. Respondents with pre-existing chronic conditions had higher likelihood of low ADL and IADL. Older adults with hypertension, psychiatric disease, heart disease, stroke and bone-related disease had significantly higher odds of reporting low IADL. The chances of low ADL and IADL were 2.156 (CI: 1.709, 2.719) and 2.892 (CI: 2.067, 4.047) times respectively higher among older adults with more than three chronic conditions. After controlling for socio-economic and health-related covariates, it was found that men with more than three pre-existing chronic conditions had higher odds of low ADL than women. On the other hand, low IADL were found higher among women with more than three pre-existing chronic conditions. Conclusions The present study demonstrates a significant burden of functional limitations among older individuals and that there is a strong association between pre-existing chronic conditions and functional disability. Those with hypertension, diabetes, psychiatric disorders, heart disease, stroke, lung disease or bone-related diseases should be effectively monitored to predict future functional limitations, which may lead to worsening health.

Background Prevalence of hypertension increases with age, but there is a general perception in India that women are less affected at every stage of life, although empiric evidence hardly exists regarding gender difference in hypertension in Indians of different ages. Therefore, we aimed to examine the gender difference in hypertension among Indians across various age-groups; and the contribution of variation in body mass index (BMI) to this difference. Methods Data were analysed after combining National Family Health Survey 4 ( n  = 294,584 aged 35–49 years) and Study of Ageing and Health wave 2 ( n  = 7118 aged 50 + years) datasets (NFHS-SAGE). Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) dataset ( n  = 65,900 aged > 45years) was analysed to replicate the results. Hypertension was defined if systolic and diastolic blood pressure was > 89 and/or > 139 respectively and/or if there was a history of anti-hypertensive medication. Descriptive summaries were tabulated and plotted to examine the gender difference in hypertension in various age-groups (35–39,40–44, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59, 60–64, 65–69, ≥ 70). Odds Ratios (ORs) from logistic regression models estimated the age gradient of hypertension and their male-female difference, adjusted for Body Mass Index (BMI). Results Males had a higher prevalence of hypertension up to 50 years; after that, females had higher rates. The estimates of age gradient, expressed as ORs, were 1.02 (1.02, 1.02) in males versus 1.05(1.05, 1.06) in females ( p  < 0.001) in NFHS-SAGE and 1.01(1.01, 1.02) in males versus 1.04(1.03, 1.04)in females ( p  < 0.001) in LASI;these differences marginally changed after adjustment with BMI. Conclusion This is perhaps the first study to comprehensively demonstrate that cardio-metabolic risk in Indian females surpasses males after 50 years of age, “busting the myth” that Indian females are always at much lower risk than males; and this evidence should inform the Indian healthcare system to prioritise older women for screening and treatment of hypertension.

Background In India, the prevalence of depression among older adults dealing with multiple health conditions varies between rural and urban areas due to disparities in healthcare access and cultural factors. The distinct patterns observed underscore the necessity for tailored research and interventions to address mental health inequalities among multimorbid older patients in diverse geographic contexts. Methods This study used data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) wave 1 (2017–18). A total of 7,608 adults aged ≥ 60 years who were diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions (such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease, chronic heart diseases, stroke, bone/joint disease, any neurological or psychiatric diseases, and high cholesterol) were included in this study. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, logistic regression estimates, and Fairlie decomposition method were used to accomplish the study’s objectives. Results The prevalence of depression among older adults with multimorbidity was 9.48% higher in rural areas (38.33%) than in urban areas (28.85%).. Older adults with multimorbidity belonging to the scheduled caste group were 40% more likely to experience depression. Moreover, those with multimorbidity and any form of disability in activities of daily living (ADL) were 93% more likely to experience depression than those without disability, whereas those with multimorbidity and perceived good general health were 65% less likely to suffer from depression than those with poor self-perceived health. Additionally, decomposition analysis revealed that education (35.99%), caste status (10.30%), IADL disability (19.30%), and perceived discrimination (24.25%) were the primary factors contributing to the differences in depression prevalence among older adults with multimorbidity between rural and urban areas. Conclusions We found significant rural–urban differences in depression among older Indians with multimorbidity. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions that address the unique challenges faced by older patients in rural areas, including lack of social capital, discrimination, and limited resources that enable access to healthcare services. Policymakers and healthcare professionals must collaboratively design and implement effective strategies to improve the mental health and overall well-being of rural older adults, particularly those with multiple comorbidities.

The correlation between insomnia and visual impairment has not been extensively studied. This study aims to investigate this relationship among individuals aged 45 and above in India. This investigation utilized data from the 2017–2018 Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI). Visual impairment was self-reported, including presbyopia, cataracts, glaucoma, myopia, and hyperopia. Insomnia symptoms were determined by at least one of the following: difficulty in initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty in maintaining sleep (DMS), or early morning awakening (EMA) occurring three or more times per week. Analytical methods involved multivariate logistic regression, subgroup analyses, and interaction tests to interpret the data. In our cohort of 65,840 participants, 29.6% reporting insomnia symptoms demonstrated a higher risk for visual impairment. There was a significant association between visual impairment and increased risk of insomnia symptoms after adjustment for confounders. Furthermore, age in the relationship between insomnia and cataracts, sex in the relationship between insomnia and myopia, and age, sex, and smoking status in the relationship between insomnia and hyperopia, was found to have a significant interaction effect, respectively. Visual impairment was significantly associated with a higher incidence of insomnia among middle-aged and older adults in India. These findings underscore the importance of timely interventions to improve sleep quality and overall well-being in visually impaired populations.

Complex multimorbidity refers to the co-occurrence of three or more chronic illnesses across >2 body systems, which may identify persons in need of additional medical support and treatment. There is a scarcity of evidence on the differences in patient outcomes between non-complex (≥2 conditions) and complex multimorbidity groups. We evaluated the prevalence and patient outcomes of complex multimorbidity and compared them to non-complex multimorbidity. We included 30,489 multimorbid individuals aged ≥45 years from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) from wave-1 conducted in 2017–2018. We employed a log link in generalised linear models (GLM) to identify possible risk factors presenting the adjusted prevalence–risk ratio (APRR) and adjusted prevalence–risk difference (APRD) with 95% confidence interval. The prevalence of complex multimorbidity was 34.5% among multimorbid individuals. Participants residing in urban areas [APRR: 1.10 (1.02, 1.20)], [APRD: 0.04 (0.006, 0.07)] were more likely to report complex multimorbidity. Participants with complex multimorbidity availed significantly higher inpatient department services and had higher expenditure as compared to the non-complex multimorbidity group. Our findings have major implications for healthcare systems in terms of meeting the requirements of people with complicated multimorbidity, as they have significantly higher inpatient health service utilisation, higher medical costs, and poorer self-rated health.

Few studies have focused sufficiently on the intricate link between functional health and depression among older people aged 60 and above in India. Therefore, the current study investigates the association between functional health and depression among older Indian adults through the mediating role of social disengagement and loneliness and the moderating role of living arrangements using recent data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI: 2017–2018). Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF) for depression, the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) for functional health, and the indoor/outdoor activities, visits, and religious events for social disengagement were used. The feelings of loneliness and living arrangements were measured using single-item questions and surveys/interviews of household members. Bivariate analysis, logistic regression, and a Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Model were adopted. The results show that older persons with functional health had 1.85 times higher odds of depression; similarly, those not engaging in social activities and experiencing loneliness were more likely to feel depressed. Living with someone was negatively linked to depression. A significant moderation by living arrangements in the functional health-depression relationship was also observed. The results also indicate significant mediating roles of social disengagement and loneliness, with 22.0% and 3.08% mediation effects, respectively. Therefore, this study recommends the provision of housing and social interaction among older people.