Long-term functional ability trajectories and mental health among older people before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset in Chile.

Objectives: Despite the advances in understanding the complex association between functional abilities and mental health in old age, studies have overlooked two important aspects. First, traditionally, research has employed cross-sectional designs, measuring limitations at a single time point. Second, most gerontological studies on this field have been conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic onset.

Extending the Analysis of Functional Ability Trajectories to Unexplored National Contexts: The Case of Chile.

Objectives: Despite the enormous advances in the field, most evidence about functional ability trajectories in old age comes from studies conducted in developed and high-income countries. This research aims to build on these previous advances to examine functional ability trajectories in Chile.

Method: Drawing on a robust, publicly available 15-year panel data set (2004-2018), and using sequence analysis, we examine functional ability trajectories types among 4 age groups (people aged 46-50, 51-55, 56-60, and 61-64 at baseline).