Abstract
Purpose: To identify the correlates to life-space in older adults using a structural equation modeling.
Methods: The participants were 322 older adults (average age 74.0 ± 5.5 years; men 96; women 225) who had a health checkup for preventing care needs. The life-space assessment (LSA) and general health, physical performance, physical/human environments, and engaging in hobbies as potential correlates to the LSA were measured by face to face survey. Structural equation modeling was used for identifying inter-relationships between the measurements.
Results: The structural equation modeling constructed the final model which was related between general health, physical performance, and physical/human environments and the LSA and between engaging in hobbies and physical function. The standardized estimation values in general health, physical performance, human environment, and physical/human environment to the LSA and in engaging in hobbies to physical function were -0.17 (p < 0.05), 0.11 (p < 0.05), 0.14 (p < 0.05), and -0.11 (p < 0.05), respectively. The overall fit of the model was statistically judged to be satisfactory (GFI = 0.93, AGFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.06).
Conclusion: General health and physical performance may play a key role to examine the improvement the life-space in healthy older adults.
