Commonly measured constructs of mobility included walking , climbing stairs , and lower extremity function .
There was heterogeneity in ways of defining and measuring mobility limitation in older adults living in the community .
Mobility is critical in maintaining independence in older adults .
This study aims to systematic ally review the scientific literature to identify measures of mobility limitation for community-dwelling older adults .
Assistive walking device use and knee osteoarthritis: results from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (Health ABC Study).
OBJECTIVES To identify factors that predicted incident use of assistive walking devices ( AWDs ) and to explore whether AWD use was associated with changes in osteoarthritis of the knee . DESIGN Prospect i ve cohort study . SETTING Community . PARTICIPANTS Older adults ( N=2639 ) in the Health , Aging and Body Composition ( Health ABC ) Study including a subset of 874 patients with prevalent knee pain . INTERVENTIONS Not applicable . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incident use of AWDs , mean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index ( WOMAC ) pain scores , and the frequency of joint space narrowing on knee radiographs over a 3-year time period . RESULTS AWD use was initiated by 9 % of the entire Health ABC cohort and 12 % of the knee pain subset . Factors that predicted use in both groups were age ≥73 ( entire cohort : odds ratio [OR]=2.07 ; 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 1.43 - 3.01 ; knee pain subset : OR=1.87 ; 95 % CI , 1.16 - 3.03 ) , black race ( entire cohort : OR=2.95 ; 95 % CI , 2.09 - 4.16 ; knee pain subset : OR=3.21 ; 95 % CI , 2.01 - 5.11 ) , and lower balance ratios ( entire cohort : OR=3.18 ; 95 % CI , 2.21 - 4.59 ; knee pain subset : OR=3.77 ; 95 % CI , 2.34 - 6.07 ) . Mean WOMAC pain scores decreased slightly over time in both AWD and non-AWD users . Twenty percent of non-AWD users and 28 % of AWD users had radiographic progression in joint space narrowing of the tibiofemoral joint in at least 1 knee . Fourteen percent of non-AWD users and 12 % of AWD users had radiographic progression in joint space narrowing in the patellofemoral joint in at least 1 knee . CONCLUSIONS AWDs are frequently used by older adults . Knee pain and balance problems are significant reasons why older adults initiate use of an AWD . In an exploratory analysis , there was no consistent relation between the use or nonuse of an  AWD and WOMAC pain scores or knee joint space narrowing progression . Further studies of the relation of use of AWDs to changes in knee osteoarthritis are needed
Commonly measured constructs of mobility included walking , climbing stairs , and lower extremity function .
There was heterogeneity in ways of defining and measuring mobility limitation in older adults living in the community .
Mobility is critical in maintaining independence in older adults .
This study aims to systematic ally review the scientific literature to identify measures of mobility limitation for community-dwelling older adults .