The impact of veteran status on life-space mobility among older black and white men in the deep south

Abstract

Objective: To examine life-space mobility over 8.5 years among older Black and White male veterans and non-veterans in the Deep South. Design: A prospective longitudinal study of community-dwelling Black and White male adults aged >65 years (N=501; mean age=74.9; 50% Black and 50% White) enrolled in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Study of Aging. Data from baseline in-home assessments with followup telephone assessments of life-space mobility completed every 6 months were used in linear mixed-effects modeling analyses to examine life-space mobility trajectories. Main outcome measure: Life-space mobility. Results: In comparison to veterans, nonveterans were more likely to be Black, single, and live in rural areas. They also reported lower income and education. Veterans had higher baseline life-space (73.7 vs 64.9 for non-veterans; P