Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Life-Space Predicts Health Care Utilization in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Richard E Kennedy1, Courtney P Williams1, Patricia Sawyer1
11 The University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
Objective:
To determine whether decline in life-space mobility predicts increased health care utilization among community-dwelling older adults.
Method:
Health care utilization (number of emergency department [ED] visits and hospitalizations) was self-reported during monthly interviews among 419 community-dwelling African American and non-Hispanic White adults aged 75 years and older in The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Study of Aging II. Life-space was measured using the UAB Life-Space Assessment. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine associations of life-space at the beginning of each interval with health care utilization over the 1-month interval.
Results:
Overall, 400 participants were followed for 36 months. A 10-point decrease in life-space was associated with 14% increased odds of an ED visit and/or hospitalization over the next month, adjusting for demographics, transportation difficulty, comorbidity, and having a doctor visit in the last month.
Discussion:
Life-space is a practical alternative in predicting future health care utilization to performance-based measures, which can be difficult to incorporate into clinical or public health practice.
More Related Videos
06:52Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
04:13Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
Published on: February 8, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
Lifestyle Factors and Health
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Continuing Care
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age