Better health promotion and disease prevention may reduce the prevalence of disability-associated health conditions. The 1996 SIPP panel was a multistage, stratified sample of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population based on the 1990 U.S. census. Panel members were interviewed 12 times in 4 years. A subset of persons with disability also reported the main cause of their disability from a list of 30 associated health conditions. Two million adults used a wheelchair, and seven million used a cane, crutches, or a walker.
Disability affects more than one in five adults.
Rates of disability are higher among older adults who also have higher rates of chronic diseases. However, most disability occurs during the working years, which contributes to the high cost estimates of disability. The strengths of SIPP include a survey design that allows nationally representative population estimates of disability. SIPP links disability with associated health conditions, providing information that usually is not available from other data sources. This information is important because many programs address disability prevention by disease or condition.