Use of walking modifications, perceived walking difficulty and changes in outdoor mobility among community-dwelling older people during COVID-19 restrictions

Background Outdoor mobility enables participation in essential out-of-home activities in old age. Aim To compare changes in different aspects of outdoor mobility during COVID-19 restrictions versus two years before according to self-reported walking. Methods Community-dwelling participants of AGNES study (2017–2018, initial age 75–85) responded to AGNES-COVID-19 postal survey in spring 2020 (N = 809). Life-space mobility, autonomy in participation outdoors, and self-reported physical activity were assessed at both time points and differences according to self-reported walking modifications and difficulty vs. intact walking at baseline were analyzed. Results Life-space mobility and autonomy in participation outdoors had declined (mean changes -11.4, SD 21.3; and 6.7, SD 5.3, respectively), whereas physical activity had increased (5.5 min/day, SD 25.1) at follow-up. Participants perceiving walking difficulty reported the poorest baseline outdoor mobility, a steeper decline in life-space mobility (p = 0.001), a smaller increase in physical activity (p < 0.001), and a smaller decline in autonomy in participation outdoors (p = 0.017) than those with intact walking. Those with walking modifications also reported lower baseline life-space mobility and physical activity, a steeper decline in life-space mobility and a smaller increase in physical activity those with intact walking (p < 0.001 for both). Discussion Participants reporting walking modifications remained the intermediate group in outdoor mobility over time, whereas those with walking difficulty showed the steepest decline in outdoor mobility and hence potential risk for accelerated further functional decline. Conclusion Interventions should target older people perceiving walking difficulty, as they may be at the risk for becoming homebound when environmental facilitators for outdoor mobility are removed.