Determinants of mobility in community-dwelling older adults: a network analysis before, during and two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication date: Jul 22, 2025

We conceptualized out-of-home mobility as life space mobility and autonomy outdoors. Both are correlated with quality of life and influenced by multiple underlying factors. We used a complex systems approach and network models to explore changes in networks consisting of out-of-home mobility indicators and their determinants before, during and two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were older adults aged 75, 80 and 85 years at baseline (2017-2018), with follow-ups in 2020 and 2021-2022 (n = 607). Life-space mobility, autonomy outdoors, and socio-demographic, physical, psychosocial, financial, and environmental determinants were assessed using the same validated scales at all three time points. Mixed graphical model networks were estimated for each time point. Differences in network properties and the relative importance of determinants associated with life-space mobility and autonomy outdoors were compared across time points. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both life-space mobility and autonomy outdoors declined (p 

Concepts Keywords
Environmental autonomy
Older Complex systems
Psychosocial life-space mobility

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19 pandemic
disease IDO quality

Original Article

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