Physical mobility determinants among older adults: a scoping review of self-reported and performance-based measures

Abstract

Objective

To synthesise the available evidence on physical factors, such as muscle strength and power, body mass index and their association with older adults’ self-reported and performance-based mobility outcomes.

Method

This review followed the Askey and O'Malley framework. We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Web of Science, AgeLine, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases, from Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2022. Teams of two reviewers independently conducted title, abstract, full-text screening, and data extraction using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Result

A total of 239 quantitative articles, mostly cross-sectional design, conducted in 32 countries were included in this review. We identified 18 physical factors significantly associated with mobility outcomes in the expected direction. Muscle strength, body composition, falls (number and history of), and chronic conditions (number of and type) were the most studied physical factors.

Conclusion

Older adults with muscle weakness, weight concerns, history of falls, and chronic conditions had poorer mobility outcomes, such as slower gait speed, poor balance, limited community mobility and poor driving outcomes compared to their counterparts. Studies exploring the role of physical factors on the use of an assisted device, transportation, or driving, are limited.

Keywords:

• Mobility
• physical factors
• older adults
• ageing
• movement

Acknowledgement

This project is part of Michael Kalu's Ph.D. thesis, and he received Mobility Labarge Scholarship from McMaster Institute for Research in Ageing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data associated with this study is presented in the paper and as Appendices.