Basic mobility, accidental falls, and lifetime physical activity among rural and urban community-dwelling older adults: a population-based study in Northern Iceland

ABSTRACT

The objective of this research was to investigate late-life physical functioning and lifetime history of physical activity (PA) among older adults in rural and urban Arctic communities. Data was collected in a cross-sectional, population-based study among 65 to 92-year-old community-dwelling Icelanders (N = 175, 41% ≥75-year-old, 43% women, 40% rural). Late-life physical functioning was operationalised as: basic mobility (Timed Up and Go in seconds, TUG); fall risk (TUG≥12 sec); a fall (≥1 fall/year); and recurrent falls (≥2 falls/year). PA history was based on a self-assessment. Compared to urban participants, rural participants were more likely to have fallen recently, be at fall risk, and describe more PA history. Among urban participants, no fall in the past year was independently associated with more PA in middle adulthood; and worse basic mobility and late-life fall risk were independently associated with being in the ≥75-year-old group. Among rural participants, recurrent falls were independently associated with being a man; and better basic mobility was independently associated with more PA in late adulthood. To conclude, this evidence supports an important association between better late-life physical functioning and more mid- and late-life PA and encourages further research to understand high fall risk among older men in Arctic rural areas.

KEYWORDS:

• Basic mobility
• accidental falls
• physical exertion
• healthy ageing
• rural health
• residence characteristics

Geolocation information

The research was carried out in Northern Iceland which is a relatively sparsely populated area which includes an urban town, smaller towns, fishing villages and rural agricultural area. This area of Iceland is located between 65° and 67° North.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the study participants and the research assistants who visited all participants and collected data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Statement of ethical approval

The Icelandic National Bioethics Committee approved the study (no. VSN-16-100), and all participants gave written informed consent prior to data collection.

Declaration of contribution of authors

SAA developed the protocol, analyzed the data, interpreted the data, and wrote the manuscript. LE analyzed the data, interpreted the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. AKS was a grant holder, developed the protocol, and co-wrote sections of the manuscript. All authors read, edited, and approved the final manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The research was funded with grants from the Icelandic Regional Development Institute (grant no. 102022), the University of Akureyri Research Fund (grant no. R-1803), the Akureyri Hospital Research Fund (without a grant number), and the Icelandic Nurses´ Association Research Fund (without a grant number). These financial sponsors played no role in the design, execution, interpretation of data, or writing of the study.