Experiences of violence across life course and its effects on mobility among participants in the International Mobility in Aging Study

Background Life course exposure to violence may lead to disability in old age. We examine associations and pathways between life course violence and mobility disability in older participants of the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS). Methods A cross-sectional study using IMIAS 2012 baseline. Men and women aged 65–74 years were recruited at 5 cities (n=1995): Kingston and Saint-Hyacinthe (Canada), Tirana (Albania), Manizales (Colombia) and Natal (Brazil). Mobility was assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and by 2 questions on difficulty in walking and climbing stairs. Childhood physical abuse history and the HITS instrument were used to gather information on childhood exposure to violence and violence by intimate partners or family members. Multivariate logistic regression and mediation analysis models were constructed to explore the significance of direct and indirect effects of violence on mobility. Interaction effects of gender on violence and on each of the mediators were tested. Results Experiences of physical violence at any point of life were associated with mobility disability (defined as SPPB<8 or limitation in walking/climbing stairs) while psychological violence was not. Chronic conditions, C reactive protein, physical activity and depression mediated the effect of childhood exposure to violence on both mobility outcomes. Chronic conditions and depression were pathways between family and partner violence and both mobility outcomes. Physical activity was a significant pathway linking family violence to mobility. Gender interactions were not significant. Conclusions Our results provide evidence for the detrimental effects of life course exposure to violence on mobility in later life.