Functional mobility and its contributing factors for older adults in different cities in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
Impaired mobility is one of the primary causes of declined functional capacity in old age. The timed up-and-go test (TUG), a common mobility test, has been studied extensively in Western countries. The purposes of this study were to compare and identify factors associated with TUG performance in older adults with impaired mobility and living in different cities in Taiwan.


METHODS
Older adults living in Taipei, Tainan, and Niaosong cities were screened for mobility impairments and then recruited. A series of questionnaires and physical and functional tests were used to obtain information and measurements for potential contributing factors and TUG. Regression analysis was conducted to determine factors contributing to TUG.


RESULTS
A total of 413 older adults participated in the study. The mean TUG was 14.3 seconds for participants across the three cities, and was significantly shorter in Tainan. Age, number of medications, fear of falling, depression, high intensity activity time, reaction time, single leg stance time, and functional reach distance were found to have significant contribution. These factors accounted for approximately half of the variance in TUG. The regression equations were not equal for the different cities, with depression being the only common determinant.


CONCLUSION
Taiwanese older adults with mobility problems living in different cities performed differently in TUG and the contributing factors were also different. These findings indicate a need of further studies examining older adults in different environments.
['Lin|Sang-I|SI|', 'Lee|Hsuei-Chen|HC|', 'Chang|Ku-Chou|KC|', 'Yang|Yi-Ching|YC|', 'Tsauo|Jau-Yih|JY|']
D000058:Accidental Falls D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000375:Aging D002908:Chronic Disease D002947:Cities D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D004777:Environment D005239:Fear D005260:Female D015577:Geriatric Assessment D006801:Humans D008297:Male D051346:Mobility Limitation D012044:Regression Analysis D012307:Risk Factors D013624:Taiwan
mobility functional capacity aging environment sensorimotor function