Normative values and the psychometric properties of the Life-Space Index in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Life-space mobility is a construct that reflects the ability of an individual to safely maneuver oneself within their immediate and surrounding life-spaces (places one visits in daily life). The Life-Space Index (LSI) is a self-reported questionnaire that quantifies this construct. It asks questions regarding the different areas one visited in the past 4 weeks (bedroom to beyond their town), the frequency of that movement, and if assistance was required. This study plans to: 1) establish sex and age population normative values for the LSI in older Canadians; 2) confirm the ability of the LSI to accurately measure life-space mobility. This will be done by using the distribution of values from the LSI in the CLSA to define typical Canadian values for senior men and women. The LSI will also be compared with other measures from the CLSA that are relevant to mobility. To our knowledge, this will be the first study to establish age and sex stratified norms for the LSI in older Canadians.