Personal mastery and lower body mobility in community-dwelling older persons: the Invecchiare in Chianti study.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that, in older persons, sense of personal mastery, defined as the extent to which one regards one's life chance as being under one's own control, predicts change in lower extremity performance during a 6-year follow-up.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
Community based.


METHODS
Six hundred twenty-six participants aged 65 and older.


METHODS
Personal mastery was assessed at baseline using Pearlin's mastery scale. Lower extremity performance was measured at baseline and at 6-year follow-up using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) of lower extremity function.


RESULTS
Higher sense of mastery was associated with a significantly less-steep decline in lower extremity performance. Participants in the two lowest quartiles of personal mastery had, respectively, a 2.6 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.4-5.1, P=.01) and 3.2 (95% CI=1.6-6.6, P=.002) higher risk of experiencing a substantial decline (> or =3 points) in SPPB scores after 6 years as those in the highest quartile.


CONCLUSIONS
Older individuals with poor sense of personal mastery are at high risk of accelerated lower extremity physical function decline. Whether interventions aimed at improving personal mastery may prevent disability remains unknown.
Milaneschi
Yuri
Y
Tuscany Health Regional Agency, Florence, Italy. yuri.milaneschi@asf.toscana.it
Bandinelli
Stefania
S
Corsi
Anna Maria
AM
Vazzana
Rosamaria
R
Patel
Kushang V
KV
Ferrucci
Luigi
L
Guralnik
Jack M
JM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking