The mobility of community-dwelling older adults is associated with their personality traits

Tomoyuki Shinohara, Yuta Yabana, Ayumi Maruyama, Shota Saito, Rina Yamauchi
Purpose:

This research examined the relationship between mobility and personality traits in older adults in addition to physical and cognitive functions.

Methods:

The cross-sectional study involved 144 participants aged 60 years and older (median age; 75.2 years, the proportion of women; 68.1%). Mobility was evaluated using the Life-Space Assessment (LSA; Baker, 2003 and Harada, 2010), and personality traits were assessed using the Japanese Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-J; Gosling, 2003, and Oshio, 2012). Additional collected data included skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength, quadriceps strength, comfortable walking speed (CSW), the Brief-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), the Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and the Recognition of Deterioration in Senility Test (RDST).

The hot-deck imputation method was applied for missing data. Univariate analysis explored the relationship between LSA scores and these factors, while a general linear model (GLM) identified key influences. Model 1 included non-TIPI-J factors, and Model 2 included TIPI-J traits. Separate analyses were conducted for those aged 60–74 (young-older) and those 75 years and older (old-older). Moreover, sensitivity analysis was done using complete case analysis. Statistical significance was defined as p 0.05.

Results:

The median LSA score was 102.0. For the TIPI-J, the median were as follows: extraversion, 4.5; agreeableness, 5.5; conscientiousness, 4.5; emotional stability, 4.0; and openness to experience, 4.0. The other median were as follows: appendicular skeletal muscle mass index, 6.13kg/m2; handgrip strength, 24.3kg; quadriceps strength, 0.40kgf/kg; CSW, 1.35m/sec; the Brief-BESTest, 21.0; the FES-I, 29.0; and the RDST, 11.0. The LSA score was significantly correlated with age (rs = -0.284), handgrip strength (rs = 0.232), quadriceps strength (rs = 0.258), CWS (rs = 0.208), the Brief-BESTest (rs = 0.182), and the RDST (rs = 0.172).

As results of GLM, Model 1 identified quadriceps strength (β=0.041) and CSW (β=0.039) as significant factors. In Model 2, no TIPI-J personality trait showed significant correlation with LSA scores for the overall group. However, in younger participants, extraversion (β=0.049) and handgrip strength were significantly associated with LSA scores. In older participants, openness to experience (β=0.064) and quadriceps strength were significant. The sensitivity analysis supported the robustness of the results.

Conclusion(s):

Extraversion in younger-older adults and openness to experience in older-older adults were significantly linked to mobility, along with physical function. These results suggest that personality traits affecting mobility change with age. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the reliability of these findings.

Implications:

Considering personality traits is essential when designing interventions and support strategies to maintain and enhance mobility in older adults.

Funding acknowledgements:
This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (Grant Number JP22K11154).
Keywords:
life space mobility
personality traits
older adults
Primary topic:
Older people
Second topic:
Community based rehabilitation
Third topic:
Health promotion and wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
The Research Ethics Committee of the Takasaki University of Health and Welfare
Provide the ethics approval number:
2240
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
Yes

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