Initiated in 1991, WHAS I was a prospective, observational study of 1,002 women ages 65 and older representing the one-third most disabled older women living in the community. The study primarily investigated the causes and course of physical disability. In addition, WHAS I assessed the role of health care utilization, community and informal services in modifying the course and severity of disability, and developed methodologies to identify subsets of disabled women at highest risk of progression of disability. Thereby, it determined opportunities for secondary and tertiary prevention of disability. | 
