The association of gait speed and self‐reported difficulty walking with social isolation: A nationally‐representative study

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Abstract
Background: Mobility assessments are commonly used among older adults as risk stratification for falls, preoperative function, frailty, and mortality. We determined if gait speed and self‐reported difficulty walking are similarly associated with social isolation and loneliness, which are key markers of social well‐being and linked to health outcomes. Methods: We used 2015–2016 data from the National Social life Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), an in‐person nationally‐representative survey of 2640 community‐dwelling adults ≥65 years old. We measured gait speed (timed 3‐m walk: unable to walk, ≥5.7 s, and p < 0.05): social isolation (much difficulty: 26% vs no difficulty: 18%), low socializing (33% vs 19%), low volunteering (67% vs 53%), low community participation (54% vs 43%), low religious participation (51% vs 46%), and loneliness (25% vs 14%). Difficulty walking across the room was similarly strongly associated with social isolation and individual activities. The association between self‐reported difficulty walking and social isolation was stronger at older ages ( p ‐value of interaction <0.001). Conclusions: Self‐reported mobility difficulty is a widely used clinical assessment that is strongly associated with loneliness and social isolation, particularly at older ages. Among persons with limited mobility, clinicians should consider a careful social history to identify social needs and interventions addressing mobility to enhance social connections.
Funding Information
  • American Federation for Aging Research (T35AG026736)
  • National Institute on Aging (K23AG065438, KL2TR001870, P30AG044281, R01AG021487)

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