A LIFECOURSE APPROACH TO HEALTH Functional capacity and the life course A life course perspective for maintenance of the highest possible level of functional capacity Early Life Adult life older Life Growth and Maintaining highe Preventing disability and development Range of function Disability threshold environ can lower the t- disability threshold Rehabilitation and ensuring quality of life Age Source: WHO/HPS, Geneva 2000 Ageing is a life-long process-the above conceptual framework has been developed by WHO to capture this. Functional capacity(such as ventilatory capacity, muscular strength, cardio-vascular output) increases in childhood and peaks in early adulthood, eventually followed by a decline The rate of decline, however, is largely determined by factors related to adult life style-such smoking, alcohol consumption, levels of physical activity and diet. The gradient of decline may become so steep as to result in premature disability. However, the acceleration in decline may be reversible at any age and can be influenced at any age through individual as well as policy measures Smoking cessation and small increases in the level of physical fitness, for example, reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Conditioning by social class also affects functional capacity Poor education, poverty, and harmful living and working conditions all make reduced functional capacity more likely in later life. For those who become disabled, provision of rehabilitation, adaptations of the physical environment and specific interventions e.g. cataract surgery, can greatly reduce the level of disability -the disability threshold can be lowered. Quality of life should be a major consideration throughout the life course; changes in living environment can vastly improve quality of life. Gains are obtained by PAGESEVENA LIFECOURSE APPROACH TO HEALTH PAGESEVEN Functional capacity and the life course Ageing is a life-long process – the above conceptual framework has been developed by WHO to capture this. Functional capacity (such as ventilatory capacity, muscular strength, cardio-vascular output) increases in childhood and peaks in early adulthood, eventually followed by a decline. The rate of decline, however, is largely determined by factors related to adult life style – such as smoking, alcohol consumption, levels of physical activity and diet. The gradient of decline may become so steep as to result in premature disability. However, the acceleration in decline may be reversible at any age and can be influenced at any age through individual as well as policy measures. Smoking cessation and small increases in the level of physical fitness, for example, reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Conditioning by social class also affects functional capacity. Poor education, poverty, and harmful living and working conditions all make reduced functional capacity more likely in later life. For those who become disabled, provision of rehabilitation, adaptations of the physical environment and specific interventions e.g. cataract surgery, can greatly reduce the level of disability – the disability threshold can be lowered. Quality of life should be a major consideration throughout the life course; changes in living environment can vastly improve quality of life. Gains are obtained by Early Life Growth and development Adult Life Maintaining highest possible level of function Older Life Preventing disability and maintaining independence Environmental changes can lower the disability threshold Disability threshold Functional capacity Age Rehabilitation and ensuring quality of life Range of function in individuals Source: WHO/HPS, Geneva 2000 A life course perspective for maintenance of the highest possible level of functional capacity