| Background: In this study, the factors related to the functional limitation were studied simultaneously using structural
equation modeling.
Material and methods: 1201 people aged 50 years and older were selected for this study using a stratifed random sampling
method from health centers of Bukan city in the northwest of Iran, in 2017. Trained interviewers collected
information on demographic characteristics, socio-economic status, physical activity, history of falling/
fear of falling, visual and hearing condition, associated illnesses, social support, cognition, depression,
assessed functional limitation and mobility of study participants. The structural equation modeling was
used to analyze the data.
Results: The participants’ mean age was 59.2 ±7.97 yrs, of whom 61% were women. The result showed that the
proposed conceptual model ftted well CFI (0.97), RMSEA (0.04), SRMR (0.06). Age (β = -0.45, p < 0.001),
gender (β = -4.55, p = 0.004), and economic status (β = -3.57, p < 0.001), physical activity (β = -10.35,
p = 0.025) and socio-psychological activity (β = -1.59, p < 0.001) negatively, and the variables of educational
level (β = 2.34, p = 0.016), marital status (β = 5.43, p = 0.003), cognitive function (β = 0.66, p = 0.001),
living environment (ground floor*: β = 16.62, p < 0.001), duplex: (β = 5.19, p = 0.055), positively predicted
the mobility limitation.
Conclusions: In this study, a range of socio-demographic factors, cognitive function, and living environment were
identifed as signifcant predictors of mobility limitation. |