Determinants of Perceived Physical Environment Barriers among Community-Dwelling Elderly in Taiwan.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that mobility, activities of daily living, and the interaction between them can play a key role in determining perceived physical environment barriers among community-dwelling elderly.


METHODS
Cross-sectional.


METHODS
Community.


METHODS
One hundred and ninety-seven community-dwelling elderly with more than 7 points on the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire and less than 7 points on the Geriatric Depression Scale (15 items).


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Time Get-up and Go test (TUG), the subscales of basic activity of daily living (BADL)/instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) of the Hierarchy of Care Required (HCR), and the physical/structural subscale of the Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors in Community-dwelling Elderly in Taiwan were used to measure mobility, activities of daily living and perceived physical environment barriers, respectively. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to test the study hypothesis.


RESULTS
Significant and positive relations were found to exist between perceived physical environment barriers and (1) the TUG time (β=.300, p<.05), and (2) the IADL score for the HCR (β=.322, p<.05), respectively. A significant and negative relation existed between perceived physical environment barriers and the interaction term (the TUG time and the IADL score for the HCR) (β=-.211, p<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Mobility, IADL and the interaction between them are found to be significant determinants of perceived physical environment barriers in the community-dwelling elderly under consideration. Strategies targeting the enhancement of mobility among community-dwelling elderly are suggested to lead to improvements in the degree to which physical environment barriers are perceived. This beneficial effect could be greater in the case of elderly individuals with better IADL function.
T.S. Kuan, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University. No.138, Sheng-Li Road, Tainan 704, Taiwan.
W-C
WC
Lien
J-H
JH
Chang
N-W
NW
Guo
Y-C
YC
Lin
P-C
PC
Hsieh
T-S
TS
Kuan
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan