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Mobility Modification Alleviates Environmental Influence on Incident Mobility Difficulty among Community-Dwelling Older People: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study.

ABSTRACT: Environmental barriers increase risk for mobility difficulties in old age. Mobility difficulty is preceded by a phase where people try to postpone a difficulty through mobility modification. We studied whether perceived environmental mobility barriers outdoors correlate with mobility modification and mobility difficulty, predict development of mobility difficulty over a two-year follow-up, and whether mobility modification alleviates the risk for difficulty.At baseline, 848 people aged 75-90 were interviewed face-to-face. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted one (n = 816) and two years (n = 761) later. Environmental barriers to mobility were self-reported using a15-item structured questionnaire at baseline, summed and divided into tertiles (0, 1 and 2 or more barriers). Mobility difficulty was assessed as self-reported ability to walk 2 km at all assessment points and categorized into 'no difficulty', 'no difficulty but mobility modifications' (reducing frequency, stopping walking, using an aid, slowing down or resting during the performance) and 'difficulty'.At baseline, 212 participants reported mobility modifications and 356 mobility difficulties. Those reporting one or multiple environmental barriers had twice the odds for mobility modifications and up to five times the odds for mobility difficulty compared to those reporting no environmental barriers. After multiple adjustments for health and functioning, reporting multiple environmental barriers outdoors continued to predict the development of incident mobility difficulty over the two-year follow-up. Mobility modifications attenuated the association.For older people who successfully modify their performance, environmental influence on incident mobility difficulty can be diminished. Older people use mobility modification to alleviate environmental press on mobility.

SUBMITTER: Rantakokko M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4841513 | biostudies-other | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:ObjectivesTo determine the relationship between neighborhood-level socioeconomic characteristics, life-space mobility, and incident falls in community-dwelling older adults.DesignProspective, observational cohort study with a baseline in-home assessment and 6-month telephone follow-up.SettingCentral Alabama.ParticipantsCommunity-dwelling adults aged 65 and older recruited from a random sample of Medicare beneficiaries (N = 1,000).MeasurementsNeighborhood disadvantage was measured using a composite index derived from baseline neighborhood-level residential census tract socioeconomic variables. Data on individual-level socioeconomic characteristics, clinical variables, and life-space collected at baseline were included as covariates in a multivariate model using generalized estimating equations to assess the association with incident falls in the 6 months after baseline.ResultsOf the 940 participants who completed baseline and follow-up assessments, 126 (13%) reported one or more new falls in the 6 months after baseline. There was an independent nonlinear association between neighborhood disadvantage (according to increasing quartiles of disadvantage) and incident falls after adjusting for confounders: The lowest quartile served as reference; 2nd quartile odds ratio (OR) = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-4.6; 3rd quartile OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0-3.7; 4th quartile OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.7-6.0. Each 10-point decrement in life-space (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0-1.3) was associated with a higher risk of falls.ConclusionGreater neighborhood disadvantage was associated with greater risk of falls. Life-space also contributes separately to fall risk. Community-dwelling older adults in disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly those with limited mobility, may benefit from a more-rigorous assessment of their fall risk by healthcare providers. Neighborhood level socioeconomic characteristics should also be an important consideration when identifying vulnerable populations that may benefit the most from fall prevention programs.

Dataset Information

Mobility Modification Alleviates Environmental Influence on Incident Mobility Difficulty among Community-Dwelling Older People: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study.

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