Tuomola Essi-Mari, Keskinen Kirsi E, Rantanen Taina, Portegijs Erja
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (viv), 40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland.
Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Eur J Ageing. 2024 May 22;21(1):16. doi: 10.1007/s10433-024-00813-1.
In old age, walking difficulty may reduce opportunities to reach valued activity destinations. Walking modifications, e.g., slower pace or using a walking aid, may enable individuals to continue going where they wish, and hence postpone the consequences of the onset of walking difficulties. We studied visited activity destinations (type, distance) among older people with varying degrees of walking limitations. Community-dwelling 75-85-year-old people living in Jyväskylä (N = 901) were asked to state whether they had no difficulty walking 2 km, had modified their walking, or had difficulty walking. On a digital map, participants located physical exercise, attractive, and regular destinations they had visited during the past month. Destination counts and median distance to destinations from home were computed. Participants with intact walking reported higher counts of physical exercise (IRR = 1.45, 95% CI [1.31, 1.61]) and attractive destinations (IRR = 1.23, 95% CI [1.10, 1.40]) than those with walking difficulty and also visited these destinations further away from home than the others (b = 0.46, 95% CI [0.20, 0.71]). Those with walking modifications reported higher counts of physical exercise destinations than those with walking difficulty (IRR = 1.23, 95% CI [1.09, 1.40]). Counts of regular destinations and distance traveled were not associated with walking limitations. Walking modifications may help people with walking difficulty reach destinations further away from home, potentially contributing to their sense of autonomy. For those with walking difficulty, a low count of destinations other than regular destinations, e.g., shops or healthcare facilities, may signal their abandonment of recreational activities and a decrease in their life space, potentially leading to reduced well-being.
在老年阶段，行走困难可能会减少到达有价值的活动目的地的机会。行走方式的改变，例如放慢步伐或使用助行器，可能使个人能够继续前往他们想去的地方，从而推迟行走困难发作的后果。我们研究了不同程度行走受限的老年人前往的活动目的地（类型、距离）。居住在于韦斯屈莱的75 - 85岁社区居民（N = 901）被问及他们行走2公里是否有困难、是否改变了行走方式或行走有困难。在数字地图上，参与者标注出他们在过去一个月内去过的体育锻炼场所、吸引人的场所和常规场所。计算了目的地数量以及从家到目的地的中位距离。行走能力正常的参与者报告的体育锻炼场所（发病率比值比[IRR] = 1.45，95%置信区间[CI][1.31, 1.61]）和吸引人的场所（IRR = 1.23，95% CI[1.10, 1.40]）数量高于行走困难的参与者，并且他们前往这些场所的距离也比其他人离家更远（b = 0.46，95% CI[0.20, 0.71]）。行走方式有改变的参与者报告的体育锻炼场所数量高于行走困难的参与者（IRR = 1.23，95% CI[1.09, 1.40]）。常规场所的数量和出行距离与行走受限无关。行走方式的改变可能有助于行走困难的人到达离家更远的目的地，这可能有助于增强他们的自主感。对于行走困难的人来说，除了商店或医疗设施等常规场所外，其他场所数量较少可能表明他们放弃了娱乐活动，生活空间缩小，这可能导致幸福感降低。
