Abstract
Gait speed has been correlated to quality of life and has been called the sixth vital sign. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that comprise fast and comfortable gait speed. 90 older adults provided demographic, cognitive, and functional performance data. Hierarchical linear regression models revealed predictors for comfortable gait speed to be lower-extremity strength ( B = 1.13, β = 0.233, P< .05), comorbid health ( B = −2.95, β = −0.22, P < 0.05), and gender( B = 8.28, β = 0.19, P < .05). For fast gait speed lower-extremity strength ( B = 1.96, β = 0.26, P < .05), functional reach ( B = 2.45, β = 0.20, P < .05), and balance ( B = −25.29, β =−0.22, P < .05). This study revealed lower-extremity strength continues to be a strong predictor of comfortable and fast gait speeds, while cognitive measures may not be.
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