Effect of multimorbidity on gait speed in well‐functioning older people: A population‐based study in Peru

Abstract

To determine the association between multimorbidity and gait speed in a population-based sample of older people without functional dependency. Data were obtained from a previously made cross-sectional population-based study of individuals aged >60 years carried out in San Martin de Porres, the second most populous district in Lima, Peru. We included well-functioning, independent older people. Exclusion criteria emphasized removing conditions that would impair gait. The exposure of interest was non-communicable chronic disease multimorbidity, and the outcome was gait speed determined by the time required for the participant to walk a distance of 8 m out of a total distance of 10 m. Generalized linear models were used to estimate adjusted gait speed by multimorbidity status. Data from 265 older adults with a median age of 68 years (IQR 63-75 years) and 54% women were analyzed. The median gait speed was 1.06 m/s (SD 0.27) and the mean number of chronic conditions per adult was 1.1 (SD ±1). The difference in mean gait speed between older adults without a chronic condition and those with ≥3 chronic conditions was 0.24 m/s. In crude models, coefficients decreased by a significant exponential factor for every increase in the number of chronic conditions. Further adjustment attenuated these estimates. Slower speed gaits are observed across the spectrum of multimorbidity in older adults without functional dependency. The role of gait speed as a simple indicator to evaluate and monitor general health status in older populations is expanded to include older adults without dependency. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 293-300.