Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine · Oct 25, 2026
Development and preliminary evaluation of the LSMI composite score: integrating life-space mobility and falls-related confidence in older adults
By Öke D, GÜLER MA, İmer AA
Aims: This study aimed to develop and preliminarily evaluate Life-Space Mobility Index (LSMI), an exploratory composite score integrating life-space mobility and falls-related confidence, and to examine its cross-sectional associations with prevalent fall history and functional measures in older adults.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 204 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years. Normalized Life-Space Assessment-Turkish (LSA-T) version and reverse-coded FES-confidence scores were combined using equal weights to calculate LSMI. Associations with external functional measures, separate adjusted logistic regression models for prevalent fall history, receiver operating characteristic analyses with paired DeLong comparisons, and bootstrap-based internal performance assessment were conducted.Results: Higher LSMI scores were associated with more favorable functional measures, including shorter timed up and go duration, faster gait speed, better Tinetti performance, higher physical activity, and fewer depressive symptoms. In the adjusted LSMI model, each 10-point increase in LSMI was associated with lower odds of prevalent fall history (adjusted OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.49-0.75; p