Nursing research
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Medical conditions and symptoms have been shown to predict level of functioning in older adults, but medical conditions and symptoms have rarely been investigated together in a comprehensive model that included both medical conditions and symptoms as predictors of functioning in older adults. ⋯ Medical conditions affected self-reported physical functioning and self-reported role and social functioning by increasing the level of symptoms, rather than by direct association. Further descriptive studies are needed to identify other symptoms and modifiable mechanisms by which medical conditions affect functioning. Researchers who investigate the causes of poor functioning in older adults are encouraged to include symptoms in models that hypothesize medical conditions as predictors of functioning outcomes.