Acute XXXX in older community residents.

@entity1 @entity697 @entity1576
OBJECTIVE: To describe the 3-year incidence of acute @entity1576 in a population of noninstitutionalized elderly @entity1 . DESIGN: Cohort analytic study with an observation period of 3 years. SETTING: Large midwestern urban community. SUBJECTS: 574 noninstitutionalized @entity1 aged 65 years and older, of whom 349 were living independently, 110 were in congregate settings, and 115 were living independently and regularly caring for small @entity1 . METHODS: Subjects were interviewed and examined by nurse practitioners at intake and every 4 months. @entity697 and convalescent visits were made when illnesses were reported by @entity1 . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The incidence of acute @entity1576 was used to test the hypothesis that elderly @entity1 taking care of @entity1 have the highest incidence, congregate-dwellers intermediate incidence, and those living independently the lowest incidence. RESULTS: The average incidence of acute @entity1576 was 2.5 per 100 @entity1 months, comparable to rates reported in the National Health Survey. The incidence of @entity1576 was significantly greater in subjects living in congregate settings or regularly caring for young @entity1 . Similarly, greater proportions of @entity1 in the congregate and @entity1 -care groups reported at least one episode of illness (P < .05). A more detailed analysis of exposure shows that acute @entity1576 was significantly more common in subjects who had contact with @entity1 (P < .05). This risk was definitely present during the months November through February, and probably also during July through October, but was not observed for March through June. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly @entity1 living in the community experience low rates of acute upper @entity1576 . Contact with @entity1 increases their risk of developing such illnesses during certain seasons of the year.
