OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this analysis was to characterize handicaps according to activity of daily living (ADL) scores issuing from a general questionnaire aimed at measuring handicap, incapacity and dependency. METHODS: A nationwide representative sample of 16,945 French citizens living in the community were interviewed. A 30-item questionnaire documented the ability to perform ADL, including washing, dressing, food, excretion, mobility, changing position, moving inside and outside, shopping, house chores and management, distance communication and orientation. The need for nursing assistance and the intensity required were documented qualitatively (from none to full help). Handicaps were documented as visual impairment (low vision (LV), blind), motor, brain, visceral and audition. A principal component analysis identified six scores from the questionnaire: hygiene and meals, physical capacity, transport and housework, ability to move, behavioral problems, and autonomy. Individual coordinates were estimated after Varimax rotation scores were adjusted on age, number of subjects in the household and number of handicaps, using a weighted global linear model. Comparisons with control were used to estimate attributions to handicap. RESULTS: Subjects were 37.9 years old (average) and 12.9% declared a motor handicap, 2.0% visual impairment, 7.1% audition, 8.7% a visceral and 6.4% a brain handicap. The hygiene and meals score was most affected by blindness, followed by motor handicap. Physical capacity was limited by LV, blindness and motor handicap. The transport and housework score reflected LV, blindness and brain handicap. The ability to move score was reduced in citizens with blindness and brain handicap. The behavioral problem score was higher in citizens with brain handicap or LV. Only three handicaps were associated with a diminished autonomy score: LV, blind and brain handicap. CONCLUSIONS: Visual impairment was the sole handicap associated with high ADL loss attributable to all dimensions.