Aging, mobility impairments and subjective wellbeing.
Vicki A Freedman, Deborah Carr, Jennifer C Cornman and 1 others
PMID 28385571WHAT IT FOUND
In adults 60+, days when lower-body problems limited activities were linked to lower life satisfaction, worse daily emotions, and more pain and tiredness.
Pain and tiredness were most affected, and worst among ages 65-74.
Key findings
01People with lower body limitations reported worse life satisfaction, emotional wellbeing, and somatic wellbeing than people without such limitations.
02Somatic wellbeing showed the largest gap between people with and without lower body limitations, with differences of 1.2 to 1.5 across age groups.
03Among adults 65 to 74, each one-point increase in lower body limitation severity was associated with a one-quarter point lower somatic wellbeing.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was based on one 2013 survey, so it shows associations at one time point, not whether lower body limitations cause worse wellbeing or whether wellbeing changes after treatment. Wellbeing and limitation days were self-reported, and the paper notes older adults may change their comparison standard or recall experiences positively. People in institutions and those with substantial cognitive or hearing impairments were excluded, so results may not apply to patients with severe communication or cognitive needs. The authors did not examine whether associations differ by sex, race, or other personal characteristics. The study did not show whether the onset of impairments changed wellbeing over time.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that lower body impairments cause lower wellbeing or that treating mobility will improve wellbeing. This was a survey of self-reported limitation days and wellbeing, so it shows association, not treatment effect.