As a guest user you are not logged in or recognized by your IP address. You have
access to the Front Matter, Abstracts, Author Index, Subject Index and the full
text of Open Access publications.
Aim: To describe outdoor barriers in the nearby home environments of very old people, and to investigate whether the presence of these environmental barriers differed between users and non-users of mobility devices (MDs). Method: Baseline data on 397 Swedish people aged 80-89 years, collected with a study-specific question on MD use and a subset of the environmental component of the Housing Enabler instrument, assessing the outdoor environment nearby home, were used. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: The most frequent outdoor environmental barriers nearby home concerned walking surfaces, level differences, manoeuvring spaces, seating and shelters. There were however no differences in the number of outdoor environmental barriers nearby home between users and non-users of MDs. The largest difference in presence for specific barriers in the nearby outdoor environment between users and non-users of MDs were for example complicated or illogical routes to/from the entrance, steep gradients, and letterboxes possible to reach only via steps or other differences in level. Conclusion: Even if the number of environmental barriers does not differ, there are differences between users and non-users of MDs regarding specific barriers. This implies that it is not the number of environmental barriers present that matters, but rather specific barriers that impact on MD use among very old people. For that reason, it is important to consider detailed information on environmental barriers as well as personal functioning to support performance of outdoor activities in everyday life for the ageing population.
This website uses cookies
We use cookies to provide you with the best possible experience. They also allow us to analyze user behavior in order to constantly improve the website for you. Info about the privacy policy of IOS Press.
This website uses cookies
We use cookies to provide you with the best possible experience. They also allow us to analyze user behavior in order to constantly improve the website for you. Info about the privacy policy of IOS Press.