Assistive devices in context: cross-sectional association between challenges in the home environment and use of assistive devices for mobility.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

A primary goal for aging policy is to optimize independence in later life. We estimate the cross-sectional association between physical and social challenge in the home environment and use of assistive devices (AD) for mobility in the home, controlling for lower extremity physical performance (short physical performance battery [SPPB]) and other factors.

Design and methods

Data are from the Women's Health and Aging Study I, a prospective study of the factors related to physical disability in a sample of moderately to severely disabled older women. We describe these associations in the baseline sample overall and also within subsets who do and do not have both a baseline and a 3-year follow-up observation.

Results

On average, physical challenge in the home envi

SUBMITTER: Seplaki CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4110451 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature