Abstract
BackgroundGait speed is a strong predictor of a wide range of adverse health outcomes in older adults. Mean values for gait speed in community-dwelling older adults vary substantially depending on population characteristics, suggesting that social, biological, or health factors might explain why certain groups tend to self-select their gait speed in different patterns. The vast majority of studies reported in the literature present data from North American and European populations. There are few population-based studies from other regions with a different ethnicity and/or social and health conditions. To address this, the present study identified the mean usual and fast gait speeds in a representative multiracial population of community-dwelling older adults living in a developing country, and explored their association with sociodemographic, mental and physical health characteristics.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional population-based study of a sample of 137 men and 248 women, aged 65 years and over. Usual gait speed and fast gait speed were measured on a 4.6 m path. Participants were classified into slow, intermediate, and faster groups by cluster analysis. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the independent effect of each factor on the odds of presenting with a slower usual and slower fast gait speeds.ResultsParticipants had a mean (SD) usual gait speed of 1.11 (0.27) m/s and a mean fast gait speed of 1.39 (0.34) m/s. We did not observe an independent association between gait speed and race/ethnicity, educational level, or income. The main contributors to present a slower usual gait speed were low physical activity level, stroke, diabetes, urinary incontinence, high concern about falling, and old age. A slower fast gait speed was associated with old age, low physical activity, urinary incontinence and high concern about falling.ConclusionA multiracial population of older adults living in a developing country showed a similar mean gait speed to that observed in previously studied populations. The results suggest that low physical activity, urinary incontinence and high concern about falling should not be neglected and may help identify those who might benefit from early intervention.
Highlights
Gait speed is a strong predictor of a wide range of adverse health outcomes in older adults
The decrease in usual gait speed associated with increasing age [10,11] is thought to be around 0.013 m/s/year [12], and 0.027 m/s/year for fast gait speed [13] and is considered to mark a decline in functional reserve, which might be explained by cumulative age-related body changes, disease burden, or the presence of subclinical conditions such as atherosclerosis or chronic inflammation [14,15,16]
The aim of this study was to investigate the mean usual and fast gait speeds in a representative multiracial population of community-dwelling older adults living in Brazil, and to explore its association with sociodemographic, mental and physical health, and physical functioning
Summary
Gait speed is a strong predictor of a wide range of adverse health outcomes in older adults. The present study identified the mean usual and fast gait speeds in a representative multiracial population of community-dwelling older adults living in a developing country, and explored their association with sociodemographic, mental and physical health characteristics. Mean values for usual gait speed in community-dwelling older adults vary substantially; for example, from 0.56 m/s in a Hispanic American population to 1.19 m/s in a population of men (mainly White Americans) [2] These differences in walking speed may reflect a multi-systemic impairment in health status, traduced by biological dysfunctions (for example, cognitive, musculoskeletal, neural) such as dynapenia [17], diminished cutaneous sensitivity and decreased nerve conduction velocity [18] and brain neuronal loss and presence of white matter lesions [19,20], but may be influenced by racial differences [21], psychological and socioeconomic conditions such as a high concern about falling [22], low educational level [23] and low employment grade [24]. Identifying the factors associated with slower gait speed will help us to target vulnerable older adults who may benefit from early intervention
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