Table 1.
Characteristics of the study sample and group comparison (n = 312)
| Variable | Total group | Men | Women | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex, n (%) | ||||
| Males | 147 (47) | - | - | |
| Females | 165 (53) | - | - | |
| Age, n (%) | 0.0211 | |||
| 75 | 107 (34) | 51 (35) | 56 (34) | |
| 80 | 94 (30) | 55 (37) | 39 (23) | |
| 85 | 67 (22) | 26 (18) | 41 (25) | |
| 90 | 44 (14) | 15 (10) | 29 (18) | |
| Marital status, n (%) | < 0.0011 | |||
| Married | 164 (53) | 114 (78) | 50 (30) | |
| Widows/widowers | 119 (38) | 22 (15) | 97 (59) | |
| Never married | 13 (4) | 4 (3) | 9 (6) | |
| Divorced | 16 (5) | 7 (5) | 9 (6) | |
| Type of housing, n (%) | < 0.0011 | |||
| Own house | 157 (50) | 94 (64) | 63 (38) | |
| Apartment | 155 (50) | 53 (36) | 102 (62) | |
| Type of living area, n (%) | 0.0452 | |||
| Living in town > 5000 inhabitants | 205 (66) | 87 (60) | 118 (72) | |
| Living in village 200–5000 inhabitants | 68 (22) | 41 (28) | 27 (16) | |
| Living in small village < 200 inhabitants | 13 (4) | 7 (5) | 7 (4) | |
| Living in the countryside, not in village | 25 (8) | 12 (8) | 13 (8) | |
| Use of assistive devices, n (%) | 0.0041 | |||
| Yes | 155 (50) | 60 (41) | 95 (58) | |
| No | 156 (50) | 86 (59) | 70 (42) | |
| Driving a car | < 0.0011 | |||
| Yes | 160 (51) | 108 (73) | 51 (32) | |
| No | 152 (59) | 39 (27) | 113 (68) | |
| LSA total score (0–120), mean (SD) | 64 (23) | 72 (21) | 58 (23) | < 0.0012 |
| Independent life-spacea (0–5), median (Q1-Q3) | 4 (2–5) | 5 (4–5) | 4 (1–5) | < 0.0012 |
| Assistive life-spaceb (0–5), median (Q1-Q3) | 5 (4–5) | 5 (4–5) | 4 (3–5) | < 0.0012 |
| Maximal life-spacec (0–5), median (Q1-Q3) | 5 (5–5) | 5 (5–5) | 5 (4–5) | 0.062 |
| SPPB total score (0–12), median (Q1-Q3) | 10 (7–11) | 10 (8–12) | 9 (7–11) | 0.0012 |
| total balance (0–4), median (Q1-Q3) | 4 (3–4) | 4 (4–4) | 4 (3–4) | < 0.0012 |
| gait speed (0–4), median (Q1-Q3) | 3 (2–4) | 3 (3–4) | 3 (2–4) | < 0.0012 |
| chair stand (0–4), median (Q1-Q3) | 1 (1–1) | 1 (1–1) | 1 (1–1) | 0.242 |
| PEF mean (SD) | 400 (119) | 469 (116) | 340 (85) | < 0.0012 |
| Grip strength mean (SD) | 0.55 (0.18) | 0.6 (0.15) | 0.51 (0.19) | < 0.0012 |
| Vision (1–5) median (Q1-Q3) | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) | 4.762 |
| good/bad n (%) | 275 (88)/36 (12) | 127 (86)/20 (14) | 148 (90)/16 (10) | |
| Hearing (1–5) median (Q1-Q3) | 3 (3–4) | 3 (3–4) | 4 (3–4) | 0.0042 |
| good/bad, n (%) | 271 (87)/40 (13) | 119 (81)/28 (19) | 152 (92)/12 (8) | |
| Dizziness (1–3) median (Q1-Q3) | 1 (1–3) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–3) | 0.292 |
| None or mild/substantial, n (%) | 217 (70)/95 (30) | 98 (67)/49 (33) | 119 (72)/46 (28) | |
1 χ2 2 Mann–Whitney U-test a highest life-space level obtained without any assistance b highest life-space level reached with help from equipment but not another person c maximal life-space level indicates the greatest distance travelled irrespective of assistance from equipment and/or another person