On the different scenarios of disagreement between self- and informant-reports on an aged adults ability to perform activities of daily living

BackgroundStudies assessing physical functionality with questions on ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) commonly make use of self- and informant-report measures.ObjectivesDelineate the scenarios from which disagreement can arise and show evidence for the presence of disagreements when reporting on ADLs.MethodUse information from a cross sectional study of community-dwelling minority aged adults and their informants to show how disagreement can arise in survey studies.ResultsAlthough disagreement between self and informant reports on ADLs exist, informants should be considered a reliable source of information.ConclusionInformant reports should be used with caution when assessing complex and private ADLs.