1. J Prev Med Public Health. 2013 Jan;46 Suppl 1:S50-4. doi:
10.3961/jpmph.2013.46.S.S50. Epub 2013 Jan 30.
Promoting mobility in older people.
Rantanen T(1).
Author information:
(1)Department of Health Sciences and Gerontology Research Center, University of
Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. taina.rantanen@jyu.fi
Out-of-home mobility is necessary for accessing commodities, making use of
neighborhood facilities, and participation in meaningful social, cultural, and
physical activities. Mobility also promotes healthy aging as it relates to the
basic human need of physical movement. Mobility is typically assessed either with
standardized performance-based tests or with self-reports of perceived difficulty
in carrying out specific mobility tasks. Mobility declines with increasing age,
and the most complex and demanding tasks are affected first. Sometimes people
cope with declining functional capacity by making changes in their way or
frequency of doing these tasks, thus avoiding facing manifest difficulties. From
the physiological point of view, walking is an integrated result of the
functioning of the musculoskeletal, cardio-respiratory, sensory and neural
systems. Studies have shown that interventions aiming to increase muscle strength
will also improve mobility. Physical activity counseling, an educational
intervention aiming to increase physical activity, may also prevent mobility
decline among older people. Sensory deficits, such as poor vision and hearing may
increase the risk of mobility decline. Consequently, rehabilitation of sensory
functions may prevent falls and decline in mobility. To promote mobility, it is
not enough to target only individuals because environmental barriers to mobility
may also accelerate mobility decline among older people. Communities need to
promote the accessibility of physical environments while also trying to minimize
negative or stereotypic attitudes toward the physical activity of older people.
PMCID: PMC3567319
PMID: 23413006 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]