title: Association between physical performance and sense of autonomy in outdoor activities and life-space mobility in community-dwelling older people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between physical performance and sense of autonomy in outdoor activities with life-space mobility-the spatial area a person purposefully moves through in daily life-in community-dwelling older people.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analyses of baseline data of the Life-Space Mobility in Old Age cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured interviews in participants' homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-dwelling people aged 75 to 90 (N = 848).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sense of autonomy outdoors (Impact on Participation and Autonomy questionnaire subscale), life-space mobility (Life-Space Assessment; University of Alabama, Birmingham Study of Aging), and Short Physical Performance Battery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median score for life-space mobility was 64.0. In linear regression models, poorer physical performance and more-limited sense of autonomy were independently associated with more restrictions in life-space mobility, explaining approximately one-third of the variation in life-space mobility. Physical performance also had an indirect effect on life-space mobility through sense of autonomy outdoors. Subgroup analyses of 5-year age groups and sex revealed that the associations were somewhat stronger in women and the oldest age group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical performance and sense of autonomy in outdoor activities explained a substantial portion of the variation in life-space mobility in healthy older people, indicating that physical and psychosocial factors play a role in maintaining mobility in old age.
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Research Center and Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: Erja
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Portegijs
authors.forename: Merja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rantakokko
authors.forename: Tuija M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Mikkola
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viljanen
authors.forename: Taina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rantanen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: activity; aging; mobility limitation; participation; physical functioning