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Women's Health and Aging Study (WHAS) The WHAS has two major goals: 1) to
study the causes and course of physical disability in the one-third most
disabled women living in the community; and 2) to evaluate the course of the
disability and how underlying conditions, as well as health habits,
psychological, cognitive, social and other factors, affect the course of the
disability. Unlike much previous epidemiologic research on disability that
relied solely on interview data, this study objectively evaluates a wide range
of diseases and physiologic dysfunctions that are relevant to disability in
older persons. The WHAS has completed extensive in-home examinations of
participants to describe the medical, functional, and social characteristics of
the study subjects. Phone calls for current disability status, including
possible nursing home admissions were completed during 1999 following completion
of the three years of in-home examinations. The first longitudinal database has
been finalized for further analysis. Adjudication of disease presence is nearly
complete. Follow-up, including analysis and reporting, will continue until
February 2001. A baseline monograph, including health and social characteristics
is at: http://www.nih.gov/nia/edb/whasbook/title.htm
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