Task Modifications in Walking Postpone Decline in Life-Space Mobility Among Community-Dwelling Older People : A 2-year Follow-up Study
(2017) In Journals of Gerontology. Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences 72(9). p.1252-1256- Abstract
Background: Task modification refers to performing a task differently than before. While task modification in walking may be a sign of looming walking difficulty, it may also be adaptive in and postpone the decline in life-space mobility. However, this has not been studied. This study examined whether changes in life-space mobility over a 2-year period differ between people who at baseline report no walking difficulty and no task modification, those who report no walking difficulty but task modification, and those who report walking difficulty.
Methods: Community-dwelling people aged 75-90 years were interviewed face-to-face at baseline (N = 848), and over phone one (n = 816) and two (n = 761) years later. Life-space mobility was... (More)
Background: Task modification refers to performing a task differently than before. While task modification in walking may be a sign of looming walking difficulty, it may also be adaptive in and postpone the decline in life-space mobility. However, this has not been studied. This study examined whether changes in life-space mobility over a 2-year period differ between people who at baseline report no walking difficulty and no task modification, those who report no walking difficulty but task modification, and those who report walking difficulty.
Methods: Community-dwelling people aged 75-90 years were interviewed face-to-face at baseline (N = 848), and over phone one (n = 816) and two (n = 761) years later. Life-space mobility was assessed annually with the Life-Space Assessment (range 0-120, higher scores indicate better life-space mobility). Self-reported ability to walk 2 km was assessed at baseline and categorized into "no difficulty," "no difficulty but task modifications" (reduced frequency, given up walking, walking slower or resting during walking) and "difficulty." The analyses were adjusted for age, gender, number of chronic conditions, cognitive impairment, lower extremity performance and education.
Results: The life-space mobility score was highest and remained stable over 2-years among those with no walking difficulties at baseline and lowest and showing a steady decline among those with walking difficulties. Those with task modifications formed the middle group. They showed no marked changes in life-space mobility during the first year, but significant decline during the second year.
Conclusion: Task modifications in walking may help community-dwelling older people to postpone life-space mobility decline.
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- author
- Rantakokko, Merja LU ; Portegijs, Erja ; Viljanen, Anne ; Iwarsson, Susanne LU and Rantanen, Taina
- organization
- publishing date
- 2017-09-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Adaptation, Aging, Disability, Mobility, Participation
- in
- Journals of Gerontology. Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences
- volume
- 72
- issue
- 9
- pages
- 5 pages
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:28329074
- scopus:85016119488
- ISSN
- 1758-535X
- DOI
- 10.1093/gerona/glw348
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- e4b25988-88ce-46e9-b9f1-b7eba67a8c38
- date added to LUP
- 2018-01-25 08:08:58
- date last changed
- 2024-04-15 01:21:45
@article{e4b25988-88ce-46e9-b9f1-b7eba67a8c38,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Task modification refers to performing a task differently than before. While task modification in walking may be a sign of looming walking difficulty, it may also be adaptive in and postpone the decline in life-space mobility. However, this has not been studied. This study examined whether changes in life-space mobility over a 2-year period differ between people who at baseline report no walking difficulty and no task modification, those who report no walking difficulty but task modification, and those who report walking difficulty.</p><p>Methods: Community-dwelling people aged 75-90 years were interviewed face-to-face at baseline (N = 848), and over phone one (n = 816) and two (n = 761) years later. Life-space mobility was assessed annually with the Life-Space Assessment (range 0-120, higher scores indicate better life-space mobility). Self-reported ability to walk 2 km was assessed at baseline and categorized into "no difficulty," "no difficulty but task modifications" (reduced frequency, given up walking, walking slower or resting during walking) and "difficulty." The analyses were adjusted for age, gender, number of chronic conditions, cognitive impairment, lower extremity performance and education.</p><p>Results: The life-space mobility score was highest and remained stable over 2-years among those with no walking difficulties at baseline and lowest and showing a steady decline among those with walking difficulties. Those with task modifications formed the middle group. They showed no marked changes in life-space mobility during the first year, but significant decline during the second year.</p><p>Conclusion: Task modifications in walking may help community-dwelling older people to postpone life-space mobility decline.</p>}},
author = {{Rantakokko, Merja and Portegijs, Erja and Viljanen, Anne and Iwarsson, Susanne and Rantanen, Taina}},
issn = {{1758-535X}},
keywords = {{Adaptation; Aging; Disability; Mobility; Participation}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
number = {{9}},
pages = {{1252--1256}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Journals of Gerontology. Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences}},
title = {{Task Modifications in Walking Postpone Decline in Life-Space Mobility Among Community-Dwelling Older People : A 2-year Follow-up Study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glw348}},
doi = {{10.1093/gerona/glw348}},
volume = {{72}},
year = {{2017}},
}