Background. The number of people surviving into old age is increasing, and it has now become a global phenomenon. Studies on the prevalence and correlates of physical disability and functional limitation among elderly Nigerians are scanty. Methodology. This is a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in 3 local government areas (LGAs) in Nigeria, using a multistage sampling technique. Functional limitations of 1824 elderly persons were tested using Tinetti performance-oriented mobility assessment tool (TPOMAT) and self-reported activities of daily living (ADL). ADL disability of ten, six, and five basic items were compared. Results. The prevalence ratios (PRs) of physical disability using the ten, six, and five basic ADL items were 28.3 (95% CI 25.2–31. 5), 15.7 (95% CI 13.4–19.8), and 12.1 (95% CI 9.8–15.3), respectively, while functional limitation was 22.5 (95% CI 18.1–24.4). Increased risk of disability was independently associated with female gender PR 3.6 (95% CI 1.5–7.4), advanced age ≥75 years; PR 22.2 (95% CI 14.5, 36.8), arthritis PR 3.7 (95% CI 2.6–4.6), stroke PR 4.8 (95% CI 3.7–7.9) and diabetes PR 6.1 (95% CI 4.3–7.1). Conclusions. The findings from this study are pointers to unmet needs of the elderly disabled Nigerians. 1. Introduction The number of people surviving into old age is increasing, and it is a global phenomenon affecting developing and developed countries [1]. Information on disability is very important in responding to the care of the elderly. Disability is defined as a restriction in the ability to perform normal activities of daily living [2], and it helps to quantify the impact of disease or injury. Disability is particularly a useful concept in assessing the health of elderly people, because they have several diseases occurring simultaneously with varied severity and impacts on their daily lives. Gill and colleagues [3] have reported the powerful effects of disability on individual well-being, the need for informal help and health care, as well as long-term care needs and costs. On the basis of this, the epidemiology of elderly disability cannot be overemphasized. The process of disability represents a distinct phase in the life of many elderly persons [2]. Functional limitation is associated with loss of independence and with increased need for both formal and informal care [4, 5]. The prevalence of physical disability in elderly persons with functional limitation are, therefore, important for policy development on care of the elderly be it formal or informal care. Contrary to the developed nations [6], most
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