Satariano William A, Kealey Melissa, Hubbard Alan, Kurtovich Elaine, Ivey Susan L, Bayles Constance M, Hunter Rebecca H, Prohaska Thomas R
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley.
Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Gerontologist. 2016 Jun;56(3):525-34. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnu094. Epub 2014 Oct 17.
Mobility disability is associated with poor lower body function among older adults. This study examines whether specific types of neighborhood characteristics moderate that association.
This study is based on a cross-sectional sample of 884 people aged ≥ 65 years identified through service organizations in Alameda County, CA; Cook County, IL; Allegheny County, PA; and Wake and Durham counties, NC. In-person interviews focus on neighborhood characteristics, physical and cognitive function, depression, and walking. Functional capacity is tested using objective measures of lower body strength, balance, and walking speed. Mobility disability, the main study outcome, is measured as self-reported level of difficulty in walking 2-3 neighborhood blocks. Estimates of main and interactive effects are derived from logistic regression models.
Among older adults with poor lower body function, those who report less proximity to goods and services and barriers to walking report more mobility disability than other older adults. In contrast, among older adults with good lower body function, there is a low prevalence of mobility disability and little association between perceptions of the neighborhood and mobility disability.
In addition to more refined longitudinal studies, this research provides a foundation for innovative place-based rehabilitation and hospital discharge programs for older adults newly diagnosed and treated for chronic health conditions.
行动不便与老年人较差的下肢功能相关。本研究旨在探讨特定类型的邻里特征是否会调节这种关联。
本研究基于对884名年龄≥65岁的人群的横断面样本，这些样本是通过加利福尼亚州阿拉米达县、伊利诺伊州库克县、宾夕法尼亚州阿勒格尼县以及北卡罗来纳州韦克县和达勒姆县的服务机构确定的。面对面访谈聚焦于邻里特征、身体和认知功能、抑郁及步行情况。使用下肢力量、平衡和步行速度的客观测量方法来测试功能能力。主要研究结果——行动不便，通过自我报告的行走2至3个邻里街区的困难程度来衡量。主要效应和交互效应的估计值来自逻辑回归模型。
在下肢功能较差的老年人中，那些报告距离商品和服务较远以及存在步行障碍的人比其他老年人报告有更多的行动不便。相比之下，在下肢功能良好的老年人中，行动不便的患病率较低，邻里感知与行动不便之间的关联也较小。
除了更精细的纵向研究外，本研究为针对新诊断和治疗慢性健康状况的老年人的创新性基于场所的康复和出院计划提供了基础。
