Falls and life-space mobility: longitudinal analysis from The International Mobility in Aging Study
- 1 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
- Vol. 33 (2), 303-310
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-020-01540-0
Abstract
Objectives To investigate a 4-year longitudinal relationship between falls, recurrent falls, and injurious falls, according to different levels of life-space mobility (LSM). Methods Longitudinal analysis of an international cohort study. The participants were older adults from the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) aged between 65 and 74 years at baseline. Three waves of data (2012, 2014, 2016) were used. Fall history during the past year was recorded. Recurrent fallers were identified as those who fell at least twice and injurious fallers as participants who required medical attention. LSM measurements included Total Life-Space (LS-C), Maximal Life-Space (LS-M), Assisted Life-Space (LS-A), Independent Life-Space (LS-I) and Restricted Life-space (LS-ID) scores. Generalized estimation equation (GEE) models were used to determine whether life-space mobility measures and their change over time differed between recurrence of falls and injurious falls. Results At baseline, the prevalence of falls in the last year was 28%. 11.8% reported recurrent falls and 2.6% had serious injurious falls in the last year preceding the assessments. Recurrent fallers were more likely to be female, with insufficient income and, with comorbidities. GEE models showed that life-space mobility was lower among those with recurrent falls or serious injurious falls compared to those who never fell, but the rate of change did not differ over the 4-year follow-up except for the LS-A and LS-I scores, where some improvements were observed over time.Funding Information
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (AAM 108751)
This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit:
- Life-Space Mobility Predicts Nursing Home Admission Over 6 YearsJournal of Aging and Health, 2013
- Fall‐Associated Difficulty with Activities of Daily Living in Functionally Independent Individuals Aged 65 to 69 in the United States: A Cohort StudyJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2013
- Life Space and Risk of Alzheimer Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Cognitive Decline in Old AgeAmerican Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2011
- Ground Level Falls Are Associated With Significant Mortality in Elderly PatientsThe Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2010
- Association Between Life Space and Risk of Mortality in Advanced AgeJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2010
- Life-Space Constriction, Development of Frailty, and the Competing Risk of Mortality: The Women's Health and Aging Study IAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, 2007
- Falls in older people: epidemiology, risk factors and strategies for preventionAge and Ageing, 2006
- Development of a Common Outcome Data Set for Fall Injury Prevention Trials: The Prevention of Falls Network Europe ConsensusJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2005
- Measuring Life‐Space Mobility in Community‐Dwelling Older AdultsJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2003
- Validation of a short cognitive tool for the screening of dementia in elderly people with low educational levelInternational Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2003