Life Space and Activity Space Measurement: Making 'Room' for Structural Racism

Gerontologist. 2023 Nov 28:gnad160. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnad160. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAs we age, the ability to move is foundational to health. Life space is one measure of a person's ability to move and engage in activity beyond the home. A separate but related concept is activity space, a measurement of a person's spatial behaviors and visited locations that include social networks, neighborhoods, and institutions. In this article, we integrate the literature on life space and activity space discussing how physical function is not only determined by individual capabilities, but also by the surrounding social and environmental factors which may limit their agency. We show how structural racism contributes to inequities within this paradigm linking related concepts of movement, agency, belonging, and timing. We also explore implications for research and theory for mobility, social connection, and activity.PMID:38015951 | DOI:10.1093/geront/gnad160

Source: The Gerontologist - November 28, 2023 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Sarah L Szanton Kamila A Alexander Boeun Kim Qiwei Li Gilbert C Gee Karen J Bandeen-Roche Paris B Adkins-Jackson Melissa D Hladek Laura J Samuel Emily A Haozous Safiyyah M Okoye Deidra C Crews Roland J Thorpe Source Type: research