Variable Details

Available Studies
MAP, MARS, Clinical Core, LATC
Scaled? 
Not Scaled
Variable Type 
Longitudinal
Variable Name 
life_space
Categories
Lifestyle

Life space
Distance traveled from home in daily life

Life space is a composite measure of spatial movement through the environment using a modified version of the Life Space Questionnaire. The scale measures spatial movement in up to 6 specific zones within a participant's environment:

  1. bedroom
  2. porch/patio
  3. parking lot/yard
  4. in neighborhood
  5. outside of neighborhood
  6. outside of town

Participants are asked to report whether or not they have been in each of the zones in the past week (yes = 1 or no = 0). The life space score for each individual is the sum of the responses. Possible scores range from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating larger life space.

Participants are asked the following questions:

In the past week, have you been to...

  1. other rooms of your apartment (or home) besides the room where you sleep?
  2. an area immediately outside your apartment (or home) such as your porch, deck, or patio, hallway or garage?
  3. an area outside your apartment building (or home) such as the courtyard, yard, driveway, or parking lot?
  4. places within your immediate neighborhood but beyond your own apartment building or property?
  5. places outside your immediate neighborhood, but within your own town or community?
  6. places outside your town or community?

Notes:

  • Generally the replies reflect logic, so that the score will be the most extensive zone the person had been in.
  • As soon as the response is no, all the remaining replies are taken to be no.

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