The impact of arthritic pain, depression, and perceived health on functional limitations and disability in older persons is not clear. This study investigated the role of arthritic pain in functional limitations and disability in older persons. The sample consisted of 1,211 French-speaking persons aged 65 or older. Approximately 32 per cent of the subjects reported having arthritic pain, of whom 13 per cent reported considerable functional limitations. The results show that arthritic pain, age, gender, education, chronic illnesses, perceived health, and depression explained 28 per cent of the variance in functional limitations and 30 per cent of the variance in disability. The present results have implications for the prevention and management of functional limitations and disability in older persons.
