Table II.

Improvement in functional status according to activity type

	Activity level without aid			Activity level with aid
Activity	(a) major problems, %	(b) unable to perform, %	(a+b) Total, %*	(c) major problems, %	(d) unable to perform, %	(c+d) Total, %*	Change, %**
Writing	25	7	32	11	2	13	–59
Buttoning clothes	24	4	28	9	2	11	–61
Holding a book when reading	24	6	30	6	2	8	–73
Picking up the phone	13	2	15	3	1	4	–73
Opening jars	44	23	67	26	13	39	–42
Household chores	41	8	49	12	4	16	–67
Lifting groceries	36	12	48	13	7	20	–58
Showering, bathing, getting dressed	14	2	16	6	1	7	–56

^*improvement of the activity group is expressed as % of the total population,

^**relative improvement is expressed as growth of the activity group itself.