Psychometric properties of the MOBITEC-GP mobile application for real-life mobility assessment in older adults

Eleftheria Giannouli; Eun-Kyeong Kim; Cheng Fu; Robert Weibel; Alexandros Sofios; Denis Infanger; Erja Portegijs; Taina Rantanen; Haosheng Huang; Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss; Andreas Zeller; Roland Rössler; Timo Hinrichs

doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.10.017

Psychometric properties of the MOBITEC-GP mobile application for real-life mobility assessment in older adults

Geriatr Nurs. 2022 Nov-Dec:48:280-286. doi: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.10.017. Epub 2022 Nov 2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Health Sciences & Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: eleftheria.giannouli@unibas.ch.
² Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; University Research Priority Program (URPP) Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Urban Development and Mobility, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
³ Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; University Research Priority Program (URPP) Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
⁵ Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁶ University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁷ Gerontology Research Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
⁸ Department of Geography, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
⁹ Centre for Primary Health Care, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
¹⁰ Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Basel Mobility Center, Department of Geriatric Medicine Felix Platter, Basel, Switzerland.

PMID: 36334468
DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.10.017

Abstract

Aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the life-space measures and walking speed delivered by the MOBITEC-GP app. Participants underwent several supervised walking speed assessments as well as a 1-week life-space assessment during two assessment sessions 9 days apart. Fifty-seven older adults (47.4% male, mean age= 75.3 (±5.9) years) were included in the study. The MOBITEC-GP app showed moderate to excellent test-retest reliability (ICCs between 0.584 and 0.920) and validity (ICCs between 0.468 and 0.950) of walking speed measurements of 50 meters and above and of most 1-week life-space parameters, including life-space area, time spent out-of-home, and action range. The MOBITEC-GP app for Android is a reliable and valid tool for the assessment of real-life walking speed (at distances of 50 metres and above) and life-space parameters of older adults. Future studies should look into technical issues more systematically in order to avoid invalid measurements.

Keywords: activity space; aging; gait speed; geographic information systems; inertial sensors; smartphone.

MeSH terms

Aged
Female
Gait
Humans
Male
Mobile Applications*
Psychometrics
Reproducibility of Results
Walking
Walking Speed