Gait kinematic features in rural older women of China

Abstract

Older women in China’s rural areas undertake heavy village works because of which they have specific gait kinematic features. This study was aimed at investigating the gait kinematic features of this group. Six subjects participated in this test, and data were collected for activities carried out at their own chosen speed. Results showed reduced stride speed, cadence and stride length in the rural elderly when compared to the data of urban older women obtained from previous studies. There was also a significant difference in the maximum knee and ankle range of motion between the rural and the urban elderly. This may be caused by rural older women paying more attention to stability in walking due to terrible ground surface in their living environment.