Evaluating Response Mechanisms in a Life-Space Mobility Instrument with a 'Stem and Leaf' Format.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Epidemiology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Life-space mobility scales are increasingly used to measure enacted mobility in individuals aged 80 and older.
• Understanding factors influencing response patterns is crucial for accurate mobility assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if the "stem and leaf" format of a life-space mobility instrument impacts response patterns.
• To investigate potential effects on item non-response, illogical responses, and 'no' responses.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive statistics and readability ease scoring were employed.
• Ten ordinary least squares regressions were conducted.
• Data from 698 females and 376 males from Wave-7 (2010-2011) of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Response patterns suggest the stem and leaf format does not induce item non-response.
• The format did not appear to lead to illogical or 'no' responses.

Conclusions:

• The stem and leaf format of the life-space mobility instrument does not seem to negatively affect response patterns.
• Given the prevalence of self-report measures, additional research is warranted to understand the impact of instrument formats on response mechanisms.