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Published on: October 6, 2016
Using video animation to assess mobility in older adults
Anthony P Marsh1, Edward H Ip, Ryan T Barnard
1Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, P.O. Box 7868, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA. marshap@wfu.edu
Summary
Older adults
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Mobility Assessment
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Contextual factors significantly influence mobility assessment in older adults.
- Limited empirical data exists on older adults' sensitivity to task demand variations.
- A novel approach was developed to investigate this sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically assess older adults' sensitivity to subtle changes in mobility task demands.
- To quantify the impact of varying task difficulty on self-reported mobility ability.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 81 animated video clips depicting mobility tasks with systematically manipulated difficulty.
- Collected item response data from 234 older adults (average age 81.9 years).
Main Results:
- Significant effects observed on self-reported ability with variations in walking speed, stair negotiation, and outdoor terrain.
- Inability to walk fast increased threefold compared to slow speeds.
- Inability to walk fast on uneven terrain was twice as common as indoors.
Conclusions:
- Varying contextual features of mobility tasks significantly impacts older adults' self-reported ability.
- Further research is needed on psychometric properties and clinical relevance of this assessment methodology.
