Conceptual and measurement model for daily life activity

The goal of our research is to provide a defined conceptual and measurement model for examining the contribution of Daily Life Activity (DLA) to the health and well-being of older adults. Although a growing body of research examines the contribution of everyday activities to health outcomes, there is little consistency among these studies concerning what activities will be assessed or how they are measured. At present, no single conceptual basis for everyday activities exists in the literature. Structural equation modeling was used to examine engagement in everyday activities for the purpose of empirically testing a model for DLA. The final measurement model for DLA is specified as a second order factor model with nine indicator variables, three first order latent variables representing different activity types (productive activity, social network based activity, and leisure activity), and 1 s order variable representing overall DLA. The resulting model points toward the formulation and refinement of a model for other researchers to use in the conceptualization and measurement of DLA.