Comparison of Self-Reported and Capacity-Based Measures of Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Nigeria: The Mediating Role of Age, Cognitive Status, and Chronic Conditions

Abstract

Background and Objectives Although the association between self-reported and capacity-based mobility outcomes is prominently researched, the pathways through which self-reported measures affect capacity-based measures remains poorly understood. Therefore, our study examines the association between self-reported and capacity-based mobility measures and explores which mobility determinants mediate the association in Nigerian community-dwelling older adults. Research Design and Methods This cross-sectional study included 169 older adults [mean age (SD) = 67.7 (7.0)]. Capacity-based mobility outcomes included the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the 6-Minute Walk Test(6MWT), and the 10-Meter Walk Test(10mWT), while the self-reported mobility outcomes included the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), the Life Space Questionnaire(LSQ), and the Mänty Preclinical Mobility Scale(inability to walk 2km, 0.5km or climb a flight of stairs). Spearman's correlations were conducted to examine the relationship between self-reported and capacity-based mobility measures, while structural equation modelling was used to determine the mediators. Results The correlation between SPPB and LEFS (rho = 0.284), inability to walk 2km (rho = -0.244), and 0.5km (rho = -0.251) were fair, while the correlation between SPPB and inability to climb a flight of stairs (rho = -0.190) was poor. Similarly, correlations between 6MWT and the LEFS (rho = 0.286), inability to walk 2 km (rho = -0.269), and 0.5km (rho = -0.303) were fair. The 6WMT was poorly correlated with inability to climb one flight of stairs (rho = -0.233). The LSQ was not correlated with SPPB or 10mWT. Age was the only significant mediator, while the number of chronic conditions and cognitive status were not. Discussion and Implications The correlation between self-reported and capacity-based mobility outcomes in older adults in Nigeria is lower than those in developed countries. Our analysis provides a foundation to explore mobility determinants that could be predictive mediators for mobility outcomes, making meaningful contributions to explaining mobility complexities.

Sankofa: Learning From the Past to Build the Future—Introduction to the Special Issue on Aging in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Four empirical articles on psychometrics and building research capacity for aging research and practice in Africa follow. In the first, Kalu et al (2024) compared self-reported and capacity-based measures of mobility in community-dwelling older adults and explored age, cognitive status, and chronic conditions as mediators. The relationship between self-reported and capacity-based mobility outcomes in Nigerian older adults was lower than those in developed countries.…”