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. 2023 Oct 28;52(Suppl 4):iv86-iv99.
doi: 10.1093/ageing/afad119.

Assessing the measurement properties of life-space mobility measures in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review

Ayse Kuspinar  1   2 , Ava Mehdipour  1 , Marla K Beauchamp  1   2 , Qiukui Hao  1 , Emily Cino  3 , Christopher Mikton  4 , Jotheeswaran Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan  5 , Theresa Diaz  6 , Parminder Raina  2   7   8
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Assessing the measurement properties of life-space mobility measures in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review

Ayse Kuspinar et al. Age Ageing. .

Abstract

Background: Preserving and enhancing mobility is an important part of healthy ageing. Life-space mobility is a construct that captures actual mobility within the home and the community. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesise the measurement properties and interpretability of scores produced by life-space mobility measures in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: This systematic review followed Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN). Multiple databases were searched to identify potentially relevant articles. Data extraction and assessment of methodological quality was conducted by two independent reviewers. When possible, results were quantitatively pooled for each measurement property. If studies could not be combined quantitatively, then findings were summarised qualitatively using means and percentage of confirmed hypothesis. Synthesised results were assessed against the COSMIN criteria for good measurement properties.

Results: A total of 21 full text articles were included in the review. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment (LSA) was the most evaluated life-space mobility measure. The LSA demonstrated content validity, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.80-0.92), reliability [intra-class correlation value 0.89 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.80, 0.94)] and convergent validity with measures of physical function in community-dwelling older adults.

Conclusion: This systematic review summarised the measurement properties of life-space mobility measures in community-dwelling older adults following COSMIN guidelines. The LSA has been translated into multiple languages and has sufficient measurement properties for assessing life-space mobility among community-dwelling older adults.

Keywords: life-space; measurement properties; mobility; older people.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.B. holds a tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Mobility, Aging, and Chronic Disease. P.R. holds the Raymond and Margaret Labarge Chair in Optimal Aging and Knowledge Application for Optimal Aging and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Geroscience.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram outlining study selection process [13].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot intraclass correlation coefficient values.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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