Re-framing mobility in older adults: an adapted comprehensive conceptual framework

ABSTRACT

Although there is widespread acceptance regarding the importance of mobility in older adults, there have been few attempts to bridge disciplines and move beyond the predominant focus on functional aspects of mobility. In this article, we present an adapted mobility framework with the goal of continued development to acknowledge the subjective and temporal elements of movement in order to comprehensively conceptualize mobility. The adapted framework of mobility offers a physiological, subjective, contextual and temporal approach, that provides a more comprehensive conceptualization of the nature and processes of older adults’ mobility. The use of a sliding scale in our framework reveals the dynamic, fluid and experiential nature of mobility by analyzing factors within and between people and their environments, over time. Adopting this framework reframes how mobility can be conceptualized and approached across a potential range of users and user groups. Our framework presents theoretical concepts that can be transported and tested in research studies. Our framework can also be used in clinical or community settings.

KEYWORDS:

• Mobility
• older adults
• subjective
• temporal
• framework

Acknowledgment

We extend sincere thanks to our study participants for generously sharing their experiences.

Declaration of contribution of authors

Franke, Sims-Gould, Chaudhury, Winters, and McKay, developed framework concept and design. All authors contributed to preparation of the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a team grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [AAM-108607]. Thea Franke’s work is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Doctoral Award [20R23657] and the University of British Columbia’sFour Year Fellowship. Dr. Winters is supported by a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award. Dr. Sims-Gould is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator award and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar award.

Notes on contributors

Thea Franke

Thea Franke, is a Doctoral student in the Interdisciplinary Department at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Her research interests include, mobility, built environment, social environment and qualitative research methods.

Joanie Sims-Gould

Joanie Sims-Gould, is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Her community based health research interests include, home and community care, physical activity, mobility and social connectedness, knowledge translation and implementation science.

Habib Chaudhury

Habib Chaudhury, is a Professor in the Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, BC, Canada). His research interests include, physical environment for people with dementia, community planning, and urban design for active aging.

Meghan Winters

Meghan Winters, is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC, Canada). Her research focus on how community design impacts health, transportation, well-being and social connectedness.

Heather McKay

Heather McKay, is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics and Family Practice at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC, Canada). Her research interests include enhanced health, mobility and social connectedness through physical activity in children youth and older adults, community engagement, implementation and scale-up science.