Mobility in Older Adults Tied to Higher Income, More Working Years

TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Better mobility in older adults is associated with higher income and longer working years, according to a study published online Oct. 25 in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.

Alex Pu, from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues examined the relationship between mobility and income in older adults. The analysis included data from 19,430 adult participants in the Health and Retirement Study in 2016 and a second group of 1,094 individuals with unrestricted mobility in 2000.

The researchers found that when adjusting for covariates, a drop of one level of mobility was significantly associated with a $3,410 reduction in annual household income. Individuals who maintained their mobility after 10 years had incomes that were $6,500 higher than those of individuals who were not working and were more likely to be working (40 versus 34.5 percent). Further, exercising at least once per week was significantly associated with better mobility four years later (mobility score, 4.46 versus 3.66).

“We have long understood that greater mobility is an important indicator of good health,” Lindsey A. Criswell, M.D., M.P.H., director of NIAMS, said in a statement. “The notion that mobility can have economic rewards further extends the evidence for the benefits of exercise and maintaining an active lifestyle.” 

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