Socioeconomic Factors and Prevalence of Functional Dependence Assessed by the Barthel Index and the Lawton-Brody Scale in the Older Population Residing in Block Hazratbal, Srinagar, India.

Background Most developing countries face a growing number of older populations because of a decrease in fertility and an increase in longevity. The older age stage (≥ 60 years) is a period in which people are prone to chronic diseases and physical and mental disabilities, which probably restrict their functional independence. Functional status refers to a person's ability to perform tasks that are required for living. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of functional dependency and its associated factors among the older population in Block Hazratbal, Srinagar, India. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in Block Hazratbal, Srinagar, from August 2024 to March 2025. The study participants included older individuals (age ≥60 years) who had been residing in the Block for at least the past six months. The presence of functional dependence was assessed using the Barthel Index for activities of daily living (ADL) and the Lawton-Brody Scale for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Results Out of a total of 257 participants, females comprised 58.4% of the population, and the rest were males. The mean age of the participants was 66.33±5.2 years. The prevalence of any functional dependence as per the Barthel index was 40.8%, and moderate to total dependency was seen in 35.4% of participants. More females than males were functionally dependent while performing different IADL tasks, and females also expressed financial dependence on their families. Conclusion One in three older persons in the study experienced a moderate to severe level of physical dependency. This raises the question of whether home care and geriatric services in India at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels are adequately scaled to provide quality care for these individuals.