Examining the Association between Life-Space Mobility and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

الملخص EN

Purpose.

The purpose of this review is to investigate the relationship between life-space mobility and cognition in older adults.

Methods.

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched through December 2018 for studies containing measures of life-space mobility and cognitive function.

Two independent reviewers screened studies.

Eligible studies were combined using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2.

Results.

Thirty-five articles were identified for review.

A moderate and statistically significant association (pooled r = 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.19 to 0.40.) was observed between life-space mobility and cognition among nine studies.

Life-space mobility demonstrated small-to-moderate associations with domain-specific cognitive functioning, particularly executive function, learning, memory, and processing speed.

Furthermore, individuals who had restricted life-space mobility (Life-Space Assessment ≤ 40) experienced a steeper decline in cognition (β = 0.56 and p = 0.0471) compared to those who did not (Life-Space Assessment ≥ 41).

Conclusion.

This review examined the association between life-space mobility and cognitive function in older adults.

The results suggest that a moderate relationship between life-space mobility and cognition exists, whether adjusted or unadjusted for covariates such as sociodemographics, mental health, functional capacity, and comorbidities.