A New Measure of Mobility-Related Behavioral Flexibility and Routines in Old Age

Although daily out-of-home mobility is crucial for well-being in later life, the psychological determinants thereof are not yet fully understood. This study describes attitudes toward daily out-of-home mobility from a person-environment interaction perspective and develops an instrument to measure mobility-related behavioral flexibility and routines in old age. Data were drawn from 265 older adults (aged 65-99). An examination of the factorial structure using exploratory factor analysis revealed three main mobility-related factors: behavioral flexibility with regard to environmental challenges, behavioral flexibility with regard to personal challenges, and a preference for routines. The instrument demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and factorial validity. The study contributes toward a better understanding of the motivational aspects of daily out-of-home mobility in later life.