Years of the research: 2000 - 2002
Country: Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands
Language: English
Keywords:
Abstract:
The key to maintaining outdoor mobility lies within the interaction between each individual and her/his immediate surroundings, significant others, and family. The consideration of living environments, neighbourhood environments as well as technological environments are thus crucial factors for a comprehensive understanding of outdoor mobility. The MOBILATE project aimed to better understand this complex interplay between personal competencies and aspects of the physical and social environment, all of which significantly impinged upon the mobility of older people. Its main objective was to provide a comprehensive and detailed description and explanation of the actual outdoor mobility of older people and of the most mobility-related person as well as environmental factors.
Researchers:
Type of research: Cross country comparative (International) urban / rural comparative
Target group: People aged 55-74; 75+
Sample:
Total N=3950 (urban=1973, rural=1977) Countries: Finland=610 Germany=1591 (East=768, West=751 Hungary=605 Italy=600 the Netherlands=616
Aims/Objectives/Background:
To explain outdoor mobility of older people, with relation to the following factors: - General background (age, gender, years of education, economic resources, and marital status), - health status (through indicators such as ADL, physical mobility, and satisfaction with health), and - social background (number of children, living alone, living with people of the same age, or living with younger generation).
Findings/outcome/conclusion/research questions:
Healthier persons were more satisfied with their mobility abilities. Older respondents reported worse health and lower outdoor mobility than younger ones. Healthier participants showed a high satisfaction with leisure possibilities, and generally the better the health; the more likely people are to take part in those activities. In some countries where women have more outdoor activities than men, gender roles concerning what are acceptable outdoor activities for women and for men may no longer exist. Moreover, private trips lasting at least one week were more often undertaken by healthy subjects. Most of the older respondents had good access to fundamental services that are important for them: food store, pharmacy, doctor and bank. The availability of a bus/tram stop alone is not equivalent to a service meeting the needs of older people.
Publication/reports: Mollenkopf, H., Marcellini, F., Ruoppila, I., Széman, Z., Tacken, M. (Eds) (2005) Enhancing Mobility in Later Life. Personal Coping, Environmental Resources and Technical Support. The Out-of-Home Mobility of Older Adults in Urban and Rural Regions of Five European Countries.
Online publication/reports/links:
http://www.iospress.nl/book/enhancing-mobility-in-later-life/
Financed by: Fifth Framework Programme for RDT of the European Commission (Project QLRT – 1999 – 02236)
Contact person: Zsuzsa Széman (project leader in Hungary), szeman.zsuzsanna@public.semmelweis-univ.hu
Copyright
“The Central and Eastern European Active Ageing Network database is protected by copyright law, under international agreements and the EC Database Directive 96/9/EC. The owner of the database is the Institute of Mental Health of Semmelweis University and the University of Debrecen Faculty of Health. Reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is not permitted without the prior written authorization of the [owner].”