Components of navigation ability and their predictors in a community-dwelling sample of older adults

Introduction: Navigation, as a complex skill important for independent living, requires a variety of cognitive processes. Current scales tapping components are lengthy and can be burdensome for older adults. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (n = 380, age 60–90 years) completed an online survey tapping wayfinding, being lost navigating, and needing help navigating. Participants then completed objective measures of navigation ability and self-reported memory ability. Cronbach’s α was calculated for navigation subscales consisting of subsets of the Wayfinding Questionnaire and Santa Barbara Sense of Direction Questionnaire, and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted. Regression analyses were used to test whether objective navigation, memory, and demographic information navigation predicted navigation subscale performance. Results: Each of the individual subscales demonstrated high reliability. EFA generated five unique factors: routing, mental mapping, navigation in near vicinities, feeling lost in far vicinities, and needing help in far vicinities. Across regression analyses, memory, gender, and performance on the Spatial Orientation Test were significant predictors. Discussion: Navigation is a multi-faceted construct that can be reliably measured using concise surveys. Further research is necessary to understand the intricacies of aging and navigation.